Authorities are still trying to piece together the senseless death of Irvo Otieno. On March 22, a new surveillance video released by a prosecutor captured the 28-year-old being pinned on the floor by multiple security guards. The incident occurred at a Virginia State Mental health hospital prior to his death March 6.
Officials from the Dinwiddie County Commonwealth office also released a 911 phone call that offered more details into the harrowing incident. According to CNN, in the audio, a caller repeatedly asked for medical assistance after Otieno stopped breathing. They claimed he was “very aggressive” and combative prior to losing oxygen.
During the March 6 incident, Otieno was being transferred from a Henrico County jail to Central State Hospital, a Dinwiddie official said. According to family members, Otieo had a long-running history of mental health struggles. Initially, he was taken to a Richmond area hospital for psychiatric treatment March 3, but allegedly, he became violent and combative at the facility.
Otieno was criminally charged and transferred to jail where he was denied access to crucial medication for his condition, family members said.
What happened to Irvo Otieno?
In the new footage that was released this week, officers could be seen carrying Otieno into the hospital from an SUV just before 4 p.m. March 6.
Nearly 20 minutes after the SUV’s arrival, officers removed Otieno from the vehicle and forcefully escorted him inside. He was hunched over and appeared to be in distress.
Further along in the clip, a different camera showed Otieno being forcibly led into a room with tables and chairs. The officers pushed him toward a seat and eventually, he slumps down toward the floor.
Several officers then force Otieno to lie face down flat on the floor. At times, his body can barely be seen in the video due to the number of officers pinning him down to the ground with their weight.
The officers involved denied causing…
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