Ernest Sayon Dies in Police Custody on Staten Island

Ernest Sayon, 22, died after being restrained by Staten Island police officers during an arrest on April 29, 1994. Officers held Sayon face-down while he struggled; he lost consciousness and was pronounced dead. A grand jury declined to indict the officers. Community members noted the case occurred exactly two years after the Los Angeles uprising began, and protests followed the no-indictment decision.