The crazed man who allegedly hijacked a packed MTA bus in Queens was indicted on a slew of charges Wednesday — as a judge refused to lower his bail despite the defense attorney’s claim that his client could die on Rikers Island.Dwayne Gaddy, 44, will remain locked up on the $500,000 bail following his arraignment on the 11-count indictment charging him with kidnapping, assault and grand larceny for the Oct. 27 incident in Cambria Heights.His Legal Aid lawyer, Kenneth Findelman, told Queens Supreme Court Justice Toni Cimino that Gaddy, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia, should be freed under restricted home supervision pending trial.
| Au contraire, mon ami — a violent schizophrenic needs to be locked up on the prison psych ward at least until he demonstrates the understanding that he must take his medications regularly. Until he reaches that point he is a danger to himself and all those around him. |
| 1) Everyone at Rikers is at risk for violence — he isn’t special. 2) Unfortunately, New York State closed all its insane asylums decades ago. All they have left are a few hospital suicide wards, where patients are kept for three days or until stabilized, but no longer because while the need is practically infinite, the number of hospital beds for the purpose is very finite, indeed. |
As of the end of October, 18 inmates have died in the New York City jail system, the highest total since 2013 and topping the 2021 full-year total of 16, data shows.