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DINWIDDIE, Va. (WRIC) — Video obtained by 8News shows the moments leading up to Irvo Otieno’s death.
Henrico County Sheriff’s deputies took Otieno, 28, to Central State Hospital in Dinwiddie County just before 4 p.m. on Monday, March 6. Virginia State Police — leading the investigation — said that Otieno became combative as he was being admitted.
The video shows deputies and hospital staff restraining Otieno — who is handcuffed and shackled at the ankles — and pinning him to the ground for an estimated 12 minutes before he is rendered unconscious and ultimately dies.
Lifesaving measures are attempted on Otieno — by staff members and EMS responders — for over an hour before he is pronounced dead.
The video does not include sound and therefore it is unclear what is said by Otieno or anyone else involved.
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; appeared in Dinwiddie County Circuit Court via video chat Wednesday, March 15. They were all charged with second-degree murder.
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Three Central State Hospital 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 a couple of days later.
“In the video at Central State you see at least a knee inflicted on the body, which is — we’ve seen this before as a country,” said Dinwiddie Commonwealth’s Attorney Ann Baskervill during the court proceedings. “He was held down on the ground, pinned on the ground for 12 minutes by all seven of our defendants charged here.”
Baskervill told reporters that she intended to release the video of Otieno’s death on Tuesday after grand jury hearings.
Defense attorneys had an opportunity to review the video and on Monday, March 20, attorneys for at least two of the defendants requested that the Dinwiddie Commonwealth’s Attorney be stopped from releasing the video.
“We filed a motion to asking to protect the integrity of the judicial process by prohibiting the parties from making public statements or releasing information which could affect the right to a fair trial,” wrote Doug Ramseur, an attorney representing Wavie Jones, one of the three Central State employees charged.
This is a developing story, 8News will be releasing more information and video as it is reviewed with journalistic integrity.
