Video from a state mental hospital showing a black Virginia man being handcuffed and pinned to the ground is now in a second trial for his death, according to relatives of the man who saw the footage and his attorneys on Thursday. facing charges of first-degree murder. ,
Speaking at a news conference shortly after viewing the video, with a local prosecutor, family, and lawyers condemning the brutal treatment, he said, sent 28-year-old Irvo Otieno first to a local jail and then to a state hospital, where officials say that he had died on 6 March during the admission process.
He called on the US Department of Justice to intervene in the matter, saying that Otieno’s constitutional rights had been clearly violated.
“What I saw today was heartbreaking, America. It was disturbing. It was painful. My son was tortured,” said Otieno’s mother, Caroline Oko.
Otieno’s case is the latest example of a custodial death of a black man under law enforcement investigation. It follows the fatal beating of Tyr Nichols in Memphis, Tennessee, earlier this year and comes nearly three years after the killing of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis.
Ben Crump, who represented Floyd’s family and is now working with Otieno, quickly drew a comparison.
Crump said, “It is truly shocking that nearly three years after the brutal killing of George Floyd by police, another family is grieving a loved one who reportedly died in almost exactly the same way — police being gunned down for 12 excruciating minutes.” a statement.
Another attorney for Otieno’s family, Mark Crudice, told the news conference that the video showed all seven representatives now facing charges against Otieno, who was in handcuffs and leg shackles.
“You can see they are putting their backs on it. Every part of their body is being pushed down with utmost ferocity.”
Ten people have so far been charged with second-degree murder in Otieno’s death. Seven Henrico County sheriff’s deputies were charged Tuesday and additional charges were filed Thursday against three people employed by the hospital.
The footage the family saw on Thursday has not been made public. But Ann Caballe Baskerville, Dinwiddie County Commonwealth’s Attorney, also described it in court on Wednesday, local news outlets reported, as the first hearing for Otieno’s death.
Baskerville said Otieno did not appear combative and was sitting in a chair before being pulled to the ground by officers, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.
She announced additional charges in a news release Thursday against hospital employees: Darian M. Blackwell, 23, of Petersburg; Wavey L Jones, 34, of Chesterfield; and Saderius D., 27, of North Dinwiddie. Williams. He was being held without bond, and it was not immediately clear whether he had lawyers who could speak on his behalf. A spokeswoman for the state police said she did not know whether he had obtained a lawyer, and that none was listed in court records. The news release did not specify what role he played in Otieno’s death.
Baskerville said additional charges and arrests are pending.
Otieno, who was a child when her family immigrated from Kenya and grew up in suburban Richmond, had a history of mental health struggles and was in mental distress at the time of her initial encounter with law enforcement, her family and their attorneys earlier this month. was facing. Said.
This set off a chain of events that led to his detention for several days before authorities say he died on March 6 as he was being airlifted to Central State Hospital south of Richmond. Was.
Cruddis said that hospital footage also showed a lack of readiness to help Otieno after deputies determined “he was lifeless and not breathing.”
Krudis said Otieno was a very loving young man, an aspiring musician who was a noted high school athlete.
“There’s goodness in his music and now that’s all I’m left with – he’s gone,” Ouko said at the news conference, holding a framed photo of her son.
“I can’t be at her wedding. I’ll never see the grandson… because nobody refused to help her. Nobody stood up to stop what was happening,” she said.
Otieno was first taken into custody on March 3, according to a timeline provided by the Henrico County Police, a separate agency of the sheriff’s office.
The police department said in a news release that officers encountered Otieno while responding to a report of a possible burglary in suburban Richmond, and based on his behavior, they placed him under an emergency detention order and took him to a local hospital for evaluation. Went.