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News surrounding the death of Irvo Otieno, a 28-year-old Virginia man of Kenyan origin continue to raise questions about how black people are policed in the US.
Several media houses including NBC news broadcasted a video of the final hours leading to Otieno’s death, who died after being smothered by a group of sheriff deputies and mental hospital workers.
Local media reports that Otieno had a history of mental health issues. The video shows officers and health officials crowding a handcuffed Otieno and then piling on him, restraining every part of his body.
Here’s the heart-breaking report. It’s disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised.
Seven deputies and 3 Hospital Workers Arrested Over Otieno’s death
Ten people, among them seven Henrico County Sheriff’s deputies and three hospital workers, were arrested this week in relation to Ivor Otieno’s death.
The ten are facing second-degree murder charges for the death of the 28-year-old man. The seven deputies were arrested on Tuesday, while the other three suspects were arrested and charged on Thursday.
Otieno, a black man of Kenyan origin, is reported to have been taken into emergency custody after experiencing a mental health crisis on March 3. During a press conference, Otieno’s distraught mother, Caroline Ouko, said that her son was not a criminal— he was undergoing a mental health crisis.
She described the surveillance footage as disturbing and traumatic. “What I saw was heartbreaking. They smothered the life out of my baby.”
Terming the death as inhumane, the family’s attorney Ben Crump said that Otieno was brutally restrained with handcuffs and leg irons throughout the ordeal and had the weight of seven individuals on his face-down body.
He further noted that the surveillance videos from Henrico Jail and Central State Hospital showed that Otieno was seemingly lifeless throughout the video; he did not show any signs of aggression toward the deputies.
According to Crump, one of the deputies had their knee on Otieno’s neck as the rest held him down with their bodies.
“Throughout the video, you could hardly see his body since there was an officer on every part of his body pushing him to the ground.” He said.
Attorney Crump drew attention to how similar Otieno’s death was to George Floyd’s, who also died of asphyxiation at the hands of law enforcement officers in May 2020.
Crump appealed to law enforcement officers for consideration, professionalism, and humanity in dealing with suspects saying, “When he’s in your custody, he is in your care.”
He recounted how on Friday, March 3, Caroline Ouko, Otieno’s mother said she had begged the authorities to let her see her son since she could help calm him down. Her pleas, however, yielded no fruits. That was the last time Ouko saw her son, Otieno, alive.
Attorney Mark Krudys, who also represents the family, pointed out that when Ivor was taken into custody on March 3, he was cooperative and posed no threat to the law enforcement officers. They are now questioning why Ivor, who needed medical help, ended up in custody instead.
The police, however, said that Otieno was assaultive toward the arresting officers. At the same time, they attempted to take him to a local hospital on March 3, which prompted them to jail him instead, with charges of assault on law enforcement officers, vandalism, and disorderly conduct.
Attorney Krudys says that Ivor was treated in a subhuman manner; the entire time he was in custody, he was held naked in his cell. He was also brutally paper sprayed and denied access to his medication.
According to Ann C. Bakersvill, Commonwealth’s Attorney, Otieno died of asphyxiation while in the custody of Henrico County sheriff’s deputies.
Otieno’s family and attorneys described Otieno as a man who had a promising career in hip-hop music. Ouko described her son as a kind person who was a great listener and would always be there for his friends.
She said that she hopes to get justice for her son and that no other parent undergoes the injustice that she has suffered. The seven deputies are currently on administrative leave and are set to appear before a grand jury on March 2.
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