A family in the Bronx, New York, is demanding answers after 18-year-old Saniyah Cheatham died by hanging herself while remained in police custody over the July 4th weekend, the city's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed Monday. Cheatham was found unresponsive around 12:30 a.m. on July 5 in a holding cell at the NYPD's 41st Precinct, which covers the Hunts Point and Longwood areas. According to authorities, officers performed CPR until emergency medical personnel arrived, who transported her to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

The New York Police Department reported that Cheatham had been arrested in connection with an assault case, but has not yet offered further details about the reason for her arrest or the circumstances that led to her death. The department said only that the incident is being reviewed by its Force Investigation Division.

She was my only daughter

During a press conference held in front of the Bronx police station where the young woman died, her mother, Thomasina Cheatham, visibly affected, expressed her bewilderment: "I just want to know what happened. She was my only daughter."

The family was accompanied by renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who has represented the families of Michael Brown, George Floyd and Trayvon Martin. Crump has asked the New York Police Department to release the police station's surveillance footage and asked the medical examiner to release a detailed autopsy report. We don't know why they arrested her. We just know she's dead, Crump said. The medical examiner's office said in an emailed statement to The Associated Press that preliminary findings have been discussed with family members and that the full report, along with all supporting documentation, will be provided at a later date.

Thomasina Cheatham said her daughter had appeared to be doing well just hours earlier, enjoying a family barbecue during Independence Day celebrations. The sudden news of her death in a police cell has left the family devastated and demanding clarity.