The death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a 56-year-old nearly-blind refugee in Buffalo, has officially been ruled a homicide, intensifying scrutiny over how authorities handled his release and final hours.
According to WKBW (ABC News 7), the Erie County Medical Examiner’s Office determined Shah Alam died from a perforated ulcer triggered by hypothermia and dehydration. His body was found Feb. 24 near Perry Street by the KeyBank Center.
WKBW reports that Shah Alam had been released on bail from the Erie County Holding Center five days before his death. After his release, Border Patrol agents took him into custody on an immigration detainer. Federal authorities later determined he was not eligible for deportation.
Rather than returning him to his family, agents reportedly dropped Shah Alam off at a Tim Hortons in Riverside, where only the drive-thru was open at the time. Shah Alam’s family said neither they nor their attorney was notified by federal authorities that he was dropped off at the coffee shop, and he did not read, write, or use electronic devices. They also alleged that the coffee shop was not near their residence…