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A 28-year-old African-American man named Irvo Otieno died while being shifted from jail to a mental health facility on March 6, 2023. According to prosecutors, the deputy sheriff suffocated Otieno, which led to his death.
A cause of death is yet to be released. Irvo Otieno was taken into custody on March 3, 2023, concerning a possible burglary case. The same was confirmed in a news release. Irvo Otieno started physically assaulting the officers, according to the authorities, as he was being brought in for a psychiatric evaluation.
According to Otieno’s family, the 28-year-old was on medication, but he couldn’t take the medication during his arrest. Henrico County Sheriff Alisa Gregory said that seven deputies allegedly involved in Irvo Otieno’s death are being investigated.
Irvo Otieno allegedly died of suffocation while being transferred to a mental health setup
Seven deputy sheriffs have been charged with the second-degree murder of Otieno, who died in their custody. Authorities haven’t released the cause of death as of now.
According to Ann Cabell Baskervill, Dinwiddie County Commonwealth’s lawyer, Irvo Otieno’s legs and hands were cuffed, and it was also discovered that the seven deputies possibly held him on the ground for almost 12 minutes. Baskervill said:
“They smothered him to death. He died of asphyxia due to being smothered.”
She further explained that the tragic incident has been captured on video, which is "extremely clear, extremely alarming."
The family's attorney, Mark Krudys, addressed the incident and said:
“The family is grief-stricken after learning of the brutal nature of Ivor’s death and his inhumane treatment in the hours preceding his death. Public and experienced mental health professionals alike will be deeply disturbed when the facts of this case are fully made known.”
Prosecutors further mentioned that deputies claimed that Otieno was being "combative" before he was held down. According to authorities, Otieno "became physically assaultive towards officers."
Seven deputies took Otieno to a nearby hospital
Authorities mentioned that they took Otieno to Central State Hospital at around 4 pm on March 6, 2023, when he died.
Henrico County Sheriff Alisa Gregory said:
“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.”
The seven deputies have been identified as Dwayne Alan Bramble, 37; Bradley Thomas Disse, 43; Randy Joseph Boyer, 57; Jermaine Lavar Branch, 45; Tabitha Renee Levere, 50; Brandon Edwards Rodgers, 48; and Kaiyell Dajour Sanders, 30.
Krudys further stated:
“I think it’s a relatively small thing. It’s like he was collecting these lights that were on the lawn. It was not done out of any type of wrongful intent. He was just troubled at the time.”
Irvo Otieno was originally from Kenya, and his family arrived in the US when he was only four years old. He had a passion for music and was also a struggling hip-hop artist. On March 21, 2023, deputies are scheduled to make their appearance before a grand jury. This case came into the limelight when the entire country was talking about police brutality.
