United States: after his arrest, a young black man dies of asphyxiation in a psychiatric hospital

On March 6, Irvo Otieno, a 28-year-old black man, died in a mental hospital in Virginia after being transferred from prison. Three employees of this plant were arrested on Thursday, March 16 in connection with the deaths. Seven deputy sheriffs had already been indicted on March 14, per “second degree murder”.

Arbitrary stop

To better understand the chronology of this crime, it all begins on March 3rd. That morning, the Henrico City Police say they have identified a possible burglary, and arbitrarily arrest Irvo Otieno. This, in front of the mother, who begs the officers not to use violence, as her son is going through a crisis related to his mental health.

Otieno is finally taken into custody and transferred to the hospital for the first time. According to the police, it would be “physically aggressive towards officers”. He was then transferred to the Henrico County Jail and held on three counts: assaulting a law enforcement officer, disorderly conduct at a hospital, and vandalism.

Usually under drug treatment, it seemsIrvo Otieno was unable to take them during his detention. On March 6, he was transferred to Central State Hospital, a state-run mental health facility in Virginia.

Death by asphyxiation

It is a few hours later that the young man dies, during the hospitalization process. Hospital surveillance video shows Irvo Otieno held down for 12 minutes by seven sheriffs. It is therefore died of asphyxiation after being suffocatedconcludes the coroner’s report.

Irvo Otieno’s family members, who were able to view the video, say he was calm. ” In the videos he never collides with them. He poses no threat to them. It is neither violent nor aggressive. He is handcuffed, his legs are in irons (…) And yet, you see him held so brutally with a knee on his neck »said the victim’s brother.

“Mental Illness Shouldn’t Be Your Ticket to Death”

According to Irvo Otieno’s mother, his ” son was treated like a dog, worse than a dog », he said at a press conference. Before concluding: ” Mental illness shouldn’t be your ticket to death “.