Footage shows struggle between Virginia deputies and Black man
A group of sheriff's deputies and other personnel at a Virginia mental hospital forcibly pinned patient to the ground until he was motionless and limp, then began unsuccessful resuscitation efforts, according to newly obtained surveillance video. The video, which was obtained through a link included in public court filings, shows the workers pressing down on a prone handcuffed and shackled Otieno.
- Americas
- AP
- Published Date: 05:40 | 21 March 2023
- Modified Date: 05:40 | 21 March 2023
Sheriff deputies led a handcuffed Irvo Otieno into a room where they and medical staffers wrestled with the 28-year-old Black man on the ground for several minutes before his body went limp, video surveillance obtained by the Washington Post shows.
Otieno died soon after the March 6 incident as he was being admitted to Central State Hospital in the city of Petersburg, Virginia, according to Dinwiddie County Commonwealth Attorney Ann Cabell Baskervill. Petersburg is in the center of the state, roughly 25 miles (40 km) south of Richmond.
His death is the latest instance of a Black person dying during an encounter with law enforcement to capture national attention. Three former employees of the mental hospital and seven sheriffs deputies of Henrico County, Virginia, have been arrested and charged with second-degree murder over his death.
The nine minutes of video surveillance posted on the Washington Post website was a portion of the 27 minutes of footage the newspaper obtained from the court's filings, it said. The video surveillance was expected to be released to the public later on Tuesday by officials.
The video shows about six officers carrying Otieno into a room and he appears to struggle as he is put on the ground. At times as many as 10 deputies and hospital workers are holding him down as another six deputies and hospital workers look on, and another appears to put shackles on his legs. His arms are held behind his back.
Later he is seen slumped over and motionless when he was turned over by officers who begin chest compressions, and later they brought in a defibrillator machine and made efforts to revive him.
It was unclear from the edited video how long Otieno was held down.
The family viewed surveillance video on Thursday. A preliminary report by medical examiners said Otieno, who immigrated to the United States from Kenya when he was four, died of asphyxiation. Prosecutors say they have collected evidence and that they were told he was physically restrained during the intake process because he was "combative."
Officials have not ruled out making more charges or arrests.
Authorities have not said why Otieno was taken into custody or why he was being transferred to a mental health facility.
The deputies were placed on administrative leave and the sheriff's office is conducting an independent investigation into the incident.