Massachusetts man died of a drug overdose in Boston Police custody ...

Shayne Stilphen with his mother, Lynnel Cox
Image: Lynnel Cox/ACLU of Massachusetts

Shayne Stilphen died in July of 2019 while in the custody of the Boston Police. He was 28 years old. He was also a drug addict, his drug of choice being heroine.

According to the ACLU of Massachusetts and other sources here is the story of how he died. Following his arrest for attempting to break into a vehicle Stilphen was booked into a holding cell at a Boston Police Department facility. He has soon started contorting in a way consistent with a drug overdose. No aid was rendered. He was left on his own devices. According to surveillance videos he had injected some substances while there - which clearly were not confiscated from him - and then he slumped down and remained motionless from that point on. Still, no aid was rendered for almost an hour. By the time help came, it was too late.

The story, if relayed accurately, is absolutely outrageous. This needs to be thoroughly investigated and those responsible for criminal negligence that led to Mr Stilphen's death need to be held to account.

Also, I would say this story is far more outrageous than that of George Floyd. By the time the overdose was taking place, Stilphen was fully in custody and secure. Floyd's overdose was taking place during his arrest and likely was the most significant factor contributing to his death. Yes, the police handling of Floyd could have been better, and there was slim chance that he would have lived if they provided immediate counter-overdose treatment to him. But that occurred in the street, in the face of a potentially hostile crowd, and Floyd's death took minutes whereas Stilphen's took hours.

In light of that, it is quite reasonable to ask why is it that George Floyd's name is known worldwide and Shayne Stilphen's is largely unknown? Whatever the answer, those responsible for Stilphen's death need to be held to account, and his story needs to go viral.