Two Brooklyn deli workers taken into custody after man dies following scuffle
Police say a 59-year-old local was struck with a baton during an altercation at a Bushwick deli; workers were held for questioning and no charges have been announced.
Two deli employees in Brooklyn were taken into custody for questioning after a 59-year-old man died following a fight inside a Bushwick deli, police and local sources said.
Authorities said the man, identified by local sources as Gerry Hill, was involved in an altercation with two workers at Royal Deli & Grill shortly after 7 p.m. on Monday. During the scuffle, the two workers — a 48-year-old man and a 37-year-old man, according to sources — struck Hill, and at one point he was hit in the head with a baton. Hill is reported to have walked home to his Jefferson Street apartment and collapsed; he was later taken to Elmhurst Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 8 p.m., police said.
Police said the two employees were taken to the 83rd Precinct for questioning. As of Tuesday, no criminal charges had been filed, and the matter remained under investigation, the department said.
Neighbors and local residents offered conflicting accounts of Hill’s reputation in the neighborhood. Some Bushwick residents described him as a longtime nuisance. "If they had a petition to let the deli workers out of jail, I would sign it," one area resident told a local news outlet, adding that Hill and his brothers had "terrorize[d] this neighborhood" for years.
Court and police records show Hill had prior arrests; sources said he had been arrested more than two dozen times and was most recently charged with an assault on July 25 after an incident on Knickerbocker Avenue in which he allegedly struck another person. Records indicate he was released without bail after that charge.
Hill’s brother, Christopher Hill, disputed the characterization of his sibling as a troublemaker. "That narrative that they’re talking about my brother right now, like he was a thief, a robber and like a thug, he definitely wasn’t," Christopher Hill said on Tuesday. "I want everybody to know my brother was the kindest person in the world. If he was your friend, he’s your friend."
Neighbors said that following the fight, several family members attempted to revive Hill and called 911. First responders transported him to Elmhurst Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police confirmed. The police department did not immediately release information on the cause of death pending further investigation, including whether the injuries sustained in the altercation were the direct cause.
The two deli workers remain in police custody for questioning, and investigators said they are reviewing video footage, witness statements and other evidence from the scene. The Office of the Brooklyn District Attorney was expected to be notified as the inquiry continues. Authorities urged anyone with information or footage related to the incident to contact the 83rd Precinct.
The incident highlighted tensions in a neighborhood where residents differ sharply in their views of safety and public order. Local officials and law enforcement officials generally do not comment on ongoing investigations; formal charges and any potential criminal proceedings will be determined after investigators and prosecutors complete their review of the available evidence.
