Seven sheriffs deputies of Henrico
County in the US state of Virginia have been arrested and charged with
second-degree murder in the death of a Black man who was being
transported to a mental health facility from jail.
Suspect Irvo Otieno, 28, died on March 6 as he was being admitted to
Central State Hospital in Petersburg, Virginia, Dinwiddie County
Commonwealth Attorney Ann Cabell Baskervill said in a written
statement on Wednesday. Petersburg is in central Virginia, roughly 40 km south of Richmond.
“Mr. Otieno’s family was notified by my office this morning
of these charges and I will continue to work with and for his
family in relation to pursuing this case to its fullest extent,”
Cabell Baskervill said.
Medical examiners have not released a cause of death for
Otieno. Prosecutors say they were told Otieno was restrained
during the intake process because he was being “combative.”
The New York Times reported that Otieno, who immigrated to the United States from Kenya when he was 4, may have died from asphyxiation as he was being smothered on the ground by officers.
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“As Henrico County Sheriff and on behalf of our entire
office, I extend my deepest sympathies and condolences to the
family and friends of Mr. Irvo Otieno,” Henrico County Sheriff
Alisa Gregory said in a written statement released to WWBT.
“The events of March 6, at their core, represent a tragedy
because Mr. Otieno’s life was lost. This loss is felt by not
only those close to him but our entire community,” Gregory said.
The deputies were placed on administrative leave and the
sheriff’s office would conduct an independent investigation into
the incident, Gregory said in the statement.
Authorities have not said why Otieno was taken into custody
or why he was being transferred to a mental health facility.
The defendants were identified as Randy Joseph Boyer, 57, Dwayne Alan Bramble, 37, Jermaine Lavar Branch, 45, Bradley Thomas Disse, 43, Tabitha Renee Levere, 50, Brandon Edwards Rodgers, 48, and Kaiyell Dajour Sanders, 30.
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