The sudden death of Irvo Otieno, a young and talented Kenyan singer, while in police custody has shocked the music industry and fans. His unexpected passing has sparked outrage and raised concerns about the treatment of detainees in police custody.
Who was Irvo Otieno?
Irvo Otieno was 28 years old. He loved music and aspired to be a hip-hop performer, according to family Legal Advisor Mark Krudys. He moved to the United States when he was four years old, originally, he was from Kenya.
Caroline Ouko, his mother, claimed that he had used his music to find his and could create a song in under five minutes. “He poured his efforts into it, and he was pleased with it,” she stated during a press conference on Thursday.
She described Irvo as having a great heart and being the person his peers visited when they had troubles. She said he was a leader who offered his point of view to the table.
“If He wasn’t afraid because there was a disagreement to diverge while everyone else did,” she explained.
Her son Otieno had a mental ailment that required medication, according to Ouko. He experienced periods when “you wouldn’t even realize something was wrong,” She also explained that there were moments when “he would go into some type of discomfort and then you know he has to visit a doctor.”
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Irvo Otieno Cause of Death
As per a police press release, Otieno was detained on March 3 by Henrico County police, who were responding to a report of a probable burglary. He was brought under emergency custody by the cops, who were joined by the county’s crisis intervention team members.
The cops took him to the hospital, where he allegedly attacked three officers. He was booked in the county prison by the police.
According to Commonwealth’s Attorney Ann Cabell Baskervill, Otieno was brought to a state mental health hospital in Dinwiddie County on March 6 and died during the screening process.
According to the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, a preliminary assessment from the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond establishes asphyxiation as the cause of death.
Seven deputies handcuffed and leg-ironed Otieno for 12 minutes, according to Baskerville.
Who killed Irvo Otieno?
Seven deputies from the Henrico County Sheriff’s Office and three hospital personnel are facing second-degree charges of murder.
Dwayne Alan Bramble, 37, of Sandston; Tabitha Renee Levere, 50, of Henrico; Jermaine Lavar Branch, 45, of Henrico; Bradley Thomas Disse, 43, of Henrico; Randy Joseph Boyer, 57, of Henrico; Kaiyell Dajour Sanders, 30, of North Chesterfield; and Brandon Edwards Rodgers, 48, of Henrico were charged.
The local law enforcement officers’ organization, the Henrico Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 4, released a statement Tuesday stating they “stand by” the deputies.
The organization argued that in Todays Time, American police is demanding and made far more difficult by the possibility of being criminally charged while doing their tasks “. “Mr. Otieno’s passing was unfortunate, and we send our sympathies to his family. We also join Ann Baskervill, the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Dinwiddie County, in supporting the seven deputies accused with murder.”
Darian M. Blackwell, 23, of Petersburg, Wavie L. Jones, 34, of Chesterfield, and Sadarius D. Williams, 27, of North Dinwiddie, were arrested on Thursday.
Video Evidence
The evidence they have will keep it private. CNN sought the film but was informed that the ongoing investigation is not subject to obligatory disclosure.
“At this time, I am unable to publicly disclose the footage in order to safeguard the integrity of the criminal justice process,” said Baskerville, stressing that security video from the mental health facility documented the intake procedure.
Otieno’s family has seen the footage released by prosecutors on Thursday, and his mother claims he was tortured.
“My kid was treated like a dog, worse than a dog,” she yelled, furious that no one had intervened to prevent her son’s death. “We must do better.”
Leon Ochieng, his older brother, said people should be confident while calling for help when their loved ones are in danger. He didn’t think the folks in the video cared about saving lives.
“What I witnessed was a dead human being without any representation,” Ochieng said, adding that his family is now devastated and that he is advocating for an improved understanding of how to handle persons suffering from mental diseases.
“Could you tell me why isn’t my brother here right now?” Ochieng believes.
According to online court documents, The 10 defendants are scheduled to appear in court before a grand jury on Tuesday. Crump has requested that The US Department of Justice is involved in the investigation. In Virginia, the jail term for second-degree murder is a minimum of five years and a maximum of 40 years if convicted.