10 people face murder charges after Virginia mental hospital death

Officials in Virginia released surveillance video showing an incident at a mental hospital that led to a man’s death. The incident happened Monday, March 6. The video was released Tuesday, March 21.

In the video, a large group of sheriff’s deputies and medical staff is seen bringing 28-year-old Irvo Otieno into a hospital admissions room. They appeared to pin Otieno to a wall before piling on top of him on the floor.

This reportedly went on for about 11 minutes until he stopped moving. Hospital workers then began resuscitation attempts, which failed.

“There is a right of every human being to be free to breathe,” Mark Krudys, an attorney for the family of Otieno, said Tuesday. “He was just trying to breathe. That’s all he was trying to do. And he had his hands shackled in the front and his legs locked up.”

Seven Virginia deputies and three hospital workers were charged with second-degree murder for their alleged role in Otieno’s death. Defense attorneys for several of those charged have declared their clients’ innocence, suggesting they did not apply lethal force. Lawyers for two of the suspects tried to block the release of the video, arguing it could potentially pollute the jury pool.

“Those ten monsters. Those ten criminals. I was happy to hear that they were indicted. And that is just the beginning step,” Caroline Ouko, Irvo Otieno’s mother, said Tuesday. “I hope that with my team beside me, with my friends behind me, with my community behind me, with mothers and fathers who are fearful for what might happen to their children after seeing what happened to Irvo. With young people who are going through mental distress. And the world behind me, we will achieve justice for Irvo Otieno.”