Ten People Charged with Murder After Death of Black Man at Virginia Psychiatric Institution

Ten people are facing murder charges after the death of a Black man at a Virginia state psychiatric institution.

At a court hearing Wednesday, Dinwiddie County Commonwealth’s Attorney Ann Cabell Baskervill said that seven officers and three hospital workers held down 28-year-old Irvo Otieno on the floor of Central State Hospital for 12 minutes while he was shackled and handcuffed.

The mother of Irvo Otieno, spoke about her son’s “inhumane” death at a news conference on Thursday after viewing surveillance video of the incident. She said that the video showed that her son was sitting in a chair when officers pulled him to the floor and that he did not appear combative before the incident.

Virginia State Police officers were initially told that Otieno had died during the intake process. However, Baskervill said that security camera footage from the institution showed that this was not the case.

The family of Irvo Otieno is demanding justice for his death and has called for an independent investigation into the incident. They are also calling for the officers and hospital workers involved to be held accountable for their actions.