At least 4 officers at the Rikers Island jail complex watched for seven minutes as an 18-year-old inmate tried to hang himself before moving to intervene, the Independent has reported.
The officers who failed to act promptly have been suspended ahead of disciplinary proceedings against them and investigations into the matter.
In a chilling video, the teenager is seen tying one end of cloth around his neck and the other end around a pipe at the top before jumping off a partition.
Cynthia Brann, a correction commissioner, confirmed the incident to CNN in a statement, saying that it was being treated with a lot of seriousness.
It was first reported in the New York Times.
"The claims being made here are extremely troubling and we are taking them seriously. The safety and wellbeing of those in our custody is our number one priority and an investigation into this incident is underway," Brann said about the Times report as quoted by CNN, adding "if the outcome of the investigation warrants we will take appropriate disciplinary action up to and including termination."
The inmate, who was found unresponsive, was rushed to hospital where he was put into a medically induced coma.
According to the Department of Correction, the name of the inmate cannot be made public due to privacy rules.