Deputies Charged with Murder in Death of Mentally Ill Man

Seven Virginia sheriff’s deputies and three hospital workers were indicted by a grand jury Tuesday on second-degree murder charges in the death of a patient at a mental health facility.

Prosecutors said the man, Irvo Otieno, 28, was “smothered” to death by deputies when he became disruptive during the intake at Central State Hospital in Richmond.

The incident was captured on video that Dinwiddie County Commonwealth’s Attorney Ann Cabell Baskervill described as “extremely clear, extremely alarming.”

Police encountered Otieno after getting a call of a burglary and observing him picking lights off a private lawn. His family described it as a mental health crisis.

A Crisis Intervention Team put him under an emergency custody order after observing signs of possible mental illness in him. Virginia law allows qualified persons to place someone under an emergency custody order if there is evidence they might hurt themselves or others as a result of mental illness.

Police took Otieno to a local hospital, where he became “physically assaultive towards officers,” police said. They arrested him on three counts of assault on a law enforcement officer, disorderly conduct in a hospital and vandalism.

Otieno was first transferred to the Henrico County Jail West then Central State Hospital.

“The events of March 6, at their core, represent a tragedy because Mr. Otieno’s life was lost,” Henrico County Sheriff Alisa Gregory said in a statement.

The seven police officers involved were placed on administrative leave. They are scheduled to appear before a grand jury on March 21.

Otieno’s family said he was taking medication to control his mental illness but was unable to take it while he was in custody.

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