Justice for Saniyah Cheatham
Over the weekend, 18-year-old Saniyah Cheatham died in police custody. She was arrested and held at the 41st Precinct on Longwood Avenue. Officers claim the teenager committed suicide with a sweater, but the family denies this. They want answers. They want to see her body, which police have refused to show them.
Thomasina Cheatham, Saniyah’s mother, told reporters: "Maybe she said something they didn’t like, they roughed her up. I don’t believe my daughter committed suicide."
There have been actions against the precinct this week, and today, there is a rally outside the precinct at 6 PM.
Community members are also organizing a phone zap. From Bronx Palestine Solidarity Committee:
Let’s help Saniyah’s mom get access to the surveillance video! We’re gonna phone blast the precinct all day and night until Saniyah’s family and friends find out what happened in that precinct. COPS LIE!
Call 718-542-4771 and demand that Miss Thomasina Cheatham, Saniyah’s mother, is given full access to the precinct surveillance footage to know what happened to her baby.
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Updated July 10, 2025, 9:40 pm: The rally mentioned in this week’s newsletter was cancelled to honor the wishes of Saniyah’s family.