Irvo Otieno.Photo: FaceBook
A total of 10 individuals have now been charged with second-degree murder in connection to thedeath of Irvo Noel Otieno, who died while in police custody during his intake process on March 6.
Three individuals employed with Central State Hospital at the time of Otieno’s death were arrested Thursday, shared Dinwiddie County Commonwealth’s Attorney Ann Cabell Baskervill in a press release.
Their names are Darian M. Blackwell, 23, Wavie L. Jones, 34, and Sadarius D. Williams, 27.
The three hospital employees have not obtained legal representation, court records show.
“The criminal information warrants are based on the evidence collected, analyzed, and evaluated to date,” Baskervill said in Thursday’s release. “A key element of that evidence is the surveillance video from Central State Hospital that captures the intake process. To maintain the integrity of the criminal justice process at this point, I am not able to publicly release the video.”
According to Thursday’s update from the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, Otieno’s body was transported to the Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) in Richmond for examination and autopsy. The OCME’s preliminary report identified asphyxiation as a cause of death.
Along with the three hospital workers, seven Henrico County Sheriff’s Office members will appear before a grand jury on March 21.
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The deputies include Randy Joseph Boyer, 57; Dwayne Alan Bramble, 37; Jermaine Lavar Branch, 45; Bradley Thomas Disse, 43; Tabitha Renee Levere, 50; Brandon Edwards Rodgers, 48, and Kaiyell Dajour Sanders, 30.
Meherrin River Regional Jail
In a statement to PEOPLE on Thursday, Edward K. Nickel said his client Disse is a 20-year veteran with the Henrico County Sheriff’s Office who “has served honorably.”
“He is looking forward to his opportunity to try this case and for the full truth to be shared in court and ultimately vindicated,” Nickel said.
Attorneys for Sanders and Bramble did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Wednesday night. It is unclear if Boyer, Branch, Levere, and Rodgers have an attorney who can comment on their behalf.
Otieno’s family spoke out during a press conference on Thursday after viewing the video of his death, according to CBS News.
“My son was tortured,” Caroline Ouko, said, according to CBS News.
She added that the deputies were on top of Otieno until “he took his last breath.”
Otieno’s family told CBS News he struggled with mental health issues, but he had a “big heart” and was a great “listener.”
Ouko said her family moved from Kenya to the U.S. when Otieno was 4 years old. He attended college in California and was an aspiring hip-hop artist, according to the outlet.
“Irvo is as American as apple pie,” she said, adding that, “Mental illness should not be your ticket to death.”
source: people.com
