Amended complaint filed over young woman’s 2022 death in Corrections custody

Shannel Colón Ponce (police mugshot)

By The Star Staff

The family of Shannel Colón Ponce has filed a second amended civil complaint in the Bayamón Court of First Instance over her death on June 2, 2022 while in the custody of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR by its initials in Spanish).

The complaint, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Puerto Rico and attorneys José Rodríguez and Wanda Valentín, includes nine new defendants in their official and personal capacities and reiterates that the young woman’s death was the result of gross negligence, medical malpractice and rights violations.

“Shannel’s death was the result of gross negligence, abuse, and violation of rights, beyond the alleged act of suicide,” said attorney Fermín Arraiza Navas, legal director of the ACLU of Puerto Rico, in a written statement.

According to the court document, authorities at the Women’s Rehabilitation Center in Bayamón knew since May 6, 2022, that Shannel was suicidal, but placed her in a punishment area without continuous surveillance instead of a suicide prevention zone. The 23-year-old died less than a month later.

The legal complaint maintains that, although the cause of death was ruled suicide, there is testimony from other inmates that points to mistreatment and possible assaults. Furthermore, the lawsuit alleges that the DCR failed to fulfill its duty of protection, despite a prior order for psychological and psychiatric treatment issued in April 2022.

It also alleges that on the day of the events, there were no security personnel assigned to the area where Shannel was found, which contradicts the institution’s own established protocols. The family claims this was a systematic failure on the part of DCR staff and the contracted medical provider, Physician Correctional.

The lawsuit includes causes of action under the Civil Code of 2020, Puerto Rico Act 104, and the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1871. It also alleges that high-ranking officials, such as then-DCR Secretary Ana Escobar Pabón and then-Police Commissioner Antonio López Figueroa, knew or should have known about the young woman’s medical condition and the lack of training of the personnel under their command.

The case continues its judicial course while the family demands justice and accountability for the young woman’s death.