Kit Roberts
A partially blind man was found dead after being released by border patrol miles from his home.
Nurul Amin Shah Alam went missing on February 19 after US border patrol agents left him at a coffee shop when he was released from Erie County Jail.
Five days later Mr Shah Alam's body was found at about 8.30pm around four miles from the coffee shop where he had been left, Buffalo Police Department has confirmed.
Now the police department has stated that it has launched an investigation around the events leading up to the death of Mr Shah Alam.
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A statement from Buffalo Police Department said: “Homicide detectives are investigating the circumstances and timeframe of events leading up to his death, following his release from custody."
The case has sparked outrage as to why Mr Shah Alam, who was nearly blind and could not speak English well, was left in these circumstances.
Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan has slammed US Customs and Border Protection as 'unprofessional and inhumane' over the incident, and called Mr Shah Alam's death 'preventable'.
He said: “A vulnerable man - nearly blind and unable to speak English - was left alone on a cold winter night with no known attempt to leave him in a safe, secure location. That decision from US Customs and Border Protection was unprofessional and inhumane,”
Mayor Ryan went on to say that Customs and Border Patrol should 'answer for why and how this happened'.
Erie County Medical Examiner determined Mr Shah Alam's cause of death had been related to his health, and ruled out homicide and exposure, according to Buffalo city spokesperson Nick Beiling.
Mr Shah Alam was detained after going out for a walk, and had been using a curtain rod as a walking stick.
During the walk he wandered onto private property, and when he encountered agents he did not understand their instructions to him to drop the rod, before being arrested, his son Mohamad Faisal has said.
In a statement a spokesperson for US CBP said that its agents had determined that Mr Shah Alam had entered the US on December 24 2024 as a refugee, saying that he was 'not amenable to removal'.
The statement said: “Border Patrol agents offered him a courtesy ride, which he chose to accept to a coffee shop, determined to be a warm, safe location near his last known address, rather than be released directly from the Border Patrol station.
“He showed no signs of distress, mobility issues or disabilities requiring special assistance.”
Speaking to Reuters, Faisal said:“Nobody told me or my family or attorney where my dad was dropped off."
UNILAD has approached the US CBP for comment.