Irvo Otieno’s video reddit has received a lot of attention and sparked conversations about the impact of social media on mental health.
A video of the incident leading up to his death has been widely shared on social media, showing Otieno being held and begging for help, saying “I can’t breathe” and “Help me, please.”
The incident has sparked protests and calls for accountability from hospital staff involved.
What happened to Irvo?
The death of Irvo Otieno, a 32-year-old black man, in police custody at a Virginia mental health facility has sparked outrage and calls for justice.
Otieno was restrained by hospital staff and died shortly after being taken to hospital.
It has also been reported that Otieno had a criminal record of several drug-related crimes. Still, his family and supporters have stressed that his past should not lessen the importance of seeking justice before his death.
His death has sparked a wider conversation about the treatment of black people in the criminal justice system and the need for reform.
Following the incident, seven Henrico County deputies and three hospital employees were charged with second-degree manslaughter.
The Dinwiddie County Commonwealth Attorney said in court that Otieno “died of suffocation from suffocation, thanks to the fact that there were at least seven people … sitting on top of him and holding him down.”
Otieno was reportedly in the midst of a mental health crisis, handcuffed and handcuffed, posing no threat to law enforcement at the time of his death.
The family’s lawyers were shown a video of what happened when Otieno was admitted to a state hospital after a previous arrest.
Attorney Ben Crump said the video shows “how inhumane law enforcement officers are treating people with mental health crises like criminals, rather than treating them like people in need of help.”
Mark Krudys, a lawyer for Otieno’s family, said all seven deputies pushed down “every part of his body” with “absolute brutality”.
Crump also highlighted the shocking similarities between Otieno’s death and the police brutal murder of George Floyd in 2020.
He said that “it’s really shocking that almost three years after the brutal police murder of George Floyd, another family is mourning a loved one who reportedly died in exactly the same way.”
Prosecutors have said Otieno was handcuffed and wearing leg irons when deputies held him to the ground.
Otieno’s lawyers have called for an investigation by the Justice Department, and his death has sparked renewed calls for police reform and greater support for mental health care.
The incident highlights the ongoing problems of police brutality and systemic racism in the criminal justice system, particularly when it comes to the treatment of black people and those experiencing mental health crises.
