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Irvo Otieno murder: Outrage as mom reveals DISTURBING video shows cops treating son 'worse than a dog'

The family wants the videos to be released in the name of transparency as the mom said, 'My son was tortured. I saw the torture'

HENRICO, VIRGINIA: Seven deputies have been charged with second-degree murder after a Black man died when they pinned him to the floor and smothered him in a state mental hospital. The family after viewing the security camera footage said it showed 28-year-old Irvo Otieno being handcuffed by the deputies on March 6 and being smothered before he dies. 

The seven arrested deputies include Randy Joseph Boyer, 57; Jermaine Lavar Branch, 45; Dwayne Alan Bramble, 37; Bradley Thomas Disse, 43; Tabitha Renee Levere, 50; Brandon Edwards Rodgers, 48; and Kaiyell Dajour Sanders, 30. Three mental health employees -- Darian M. Blackwell, 23, of Petersburg; Wavie L. Jones, 34, of Chesterfield; and Sadarius D. Williams, 27, of North Dinwiddie -- were also charged with second-degree murder. 

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What does the video show?

“At some point [Otieno is] pulled down to the ground or slumps and then what follows is 12 minutes of him being splayed out on the ground with all seven and then ultimately some Central State people as well on top of him. No one assisting, no one blocking the others from having their hands on the victim who then died of asphyxiation by smothering,” county prosecutor Ann Baskervill reportedly said on Thursday, describing the surveillance footage. 

"Today, the family of Irvo Otieno viewed video of the 28-yo’s death at the hands of 7 Henrico County (VA) sheriff’s deputies. Irvo posed NO threat to officers, nor was he violent — he didn’t deserve to be fatally restrained with the weight of officers on top of him!" said lawyer Benjamin Crump.

“You’ll see one person take their knee off and another person put their knee on. And you said why?” asked Crump. According to Otieno’s mother, Caroline Ouko, officials treated her son “worse than a dog," The Daily Beast reported. “He was treated inhumanely. And it was traumatic, and it was systematic,” said Ouko.

Baskervill said the video is not being released at this point “to maintain the integrity of the criminal justice process.” The family, however, wants the videos to be released in the name of transparency. “My son was tortured," Ouko said. “I saw the torture.” As per a preliminary report from medical examiners, Otieno died by asphyxiation, BBC reported. 

Why was Irvo Otieno arrested?

Otieno was arrested on March 3 as a possible burglary suspect. He was then placed under an emergency custody order as authorities believed he could harm himself or others as a result of mental illness. Police said he was taken to a hospital for an evaluation where he "became physically assaultive towards officers". He was subsequently arrested and charged with assault after being transferred to jail

He was transferred back to the hospital after three days. According to investigators, they were told he had "become combative" during the process of being admitted. The incident is now also being probed by Virginia State Police. According to prosecutors, additional charges and arrests are pending.

Otieno's brother has now launched a GoFundMe for him. "My name is Leon and I’m Irvo’s older brother. Ivor was just 4 years old when we migrated to America from Nairobi, Kenya. Our mother Caroline, worked day and night to see us through school. Ivor loved sports, music and the beach. He often said he wanted to be great one day and help our village in Kenya with their needs. After graduating High School he began building his masterpiece. During his free time, he wrote music and expressed himself though his songs. His music is available to listen below… Thank you for supporting him," the page reads. At the time of writing this article, $7,775 USD had been raised of the $25,000 goal.

'Unconscionable and outrageous'

Enraged social media users took to Twitter to express their anger, with one user saying, "Policing rules, regulations and training need a complete overhaul. Even if someone's handcuffed at the front rather than behind if they're piled on top of by grown adults they're ability to breathe will be compromised." "We had hoped and prayed this was going to stop after the murder of George Floyd RIP. Policing rules, regulations and training needs an urgent overhaul. People are regularly dying at the hands of the police, please, please address this," another wrote. One user said, "He was scared for his life the moment he entered that facility."

"ACAB. They prove it every day. How many times do we have to see the same story play out before the people decide they've had enough?" one user said, while another wrote, "every officer will give account for their evil ways they are not exempt from God wrath". "Unconscionable & outrageous," one user wrote.

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