New York City jail guard arrested after being accused of watching inmate hang himself in cell

A New York City jail guard was arrested after prosecutors said she allegedly watched an inmate hang himself and did nothing.

A New York City Department of Correction captain is behind bars and charged with negligent homicide after she allegedly watched an inmate kill himself and did nothing, a district attorney said. Rebecca Hillman, 38, was charged with negligent homicide in connection with the Nov. 20, 2020, suicide of Ryan Wilson at the Manhattan Detention Complex, colloquially known as The Tombs. Faced with a life-or-death choice, Hillman, an eight-year veteran of the department, showed a "callous disregard" for life and allowed the man to hang himself, Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance said Monday in announcing the criminal charges. According to the indictment, Hillman stopped officers from saving Wilson as he hung himself with his bedsheet inside his cell.