August M
Police in Buffalo are investigating the death of a 56-year-old Burmese refugee whose body was discovered on a city street days after his release from immigration custody.
Officials say the medical examiner has ruled out both hypothermia and homicide, but questions remain about the events leading up to his death, reports 20 Minutes.
Body discovered
According to Investigative Post, officers responded Tuesday evening to reports of a body found outdoors in Buffalo. The remains were later identified as Nurul Amin Shah Alam.
A spokesperson for the mayor’s office said authorities have opened an inquiry to determine “the circumstances and sequence of events that led to his death, following his release.”
The outlet reported that Shah Alam had been missing for five days before his body was found.
Released far from home
Earlier that same day he disappeared, Shah Alam had been released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.
Investigative Post reported that although a judge had granted him bail, he was transferred from county jail to ICE. After about four hours, federal authorities determined he was legally compliant and released him approximately five miles from his home without notifying his relatives.
His family and lawyer later learned of the release and began searching for him, saying they received no further information from local or federal authorities.
Year behind bars
Shah Alam’s legal troubles began roughly a year earlier. He had left home to buy a curtain rod and became disoriented. Nearly blind, ill and unable to speak English or use a phone, he ended up at a stranger’s residence.
The woman contacted police. His lawyer said he did not understand officers’ orders to drop the rod, after which he was tasered, beaten and arrested.
He remained in county jail for about a year before being granted bail shortly before his death.
Sources: Investigative Post, 20 Minutes
