New surveillance video released on Wednesday shows a group of sheriff's deputies rushing into Irvo Otieno's jail cell in Henrico County, Virginia, and physically beating him, with one of them appearing to punch him several times before officers carried his limp body to a pick-up truck.
The video was recorded on the afternoon of March 6, hours before the Henrico County sheriff's deputies took Mr. Otieno, 28, to Central State Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in Dinwiddie County about 50 miles away. In the reception room there, previously released footage shows a group of seven sheriff's deputies piling on top of Mr Otieno and pinning him to the floor for more than 11 minutes. He asphyxiated in the process, according to local prosecutors.
Both videos were released by Dinwiddie County prosecutor Ann Cabell Baskervill, who charged 10 people—seven deputies and three hospital employees—with second-degree murder for Mr Otieno's death. A grand jury confirmed the charges with the indictment on Tuesday.
Mr. Otieno was detained on March 3 by the Henrico County police, who were responding to reports of neighbors breaking and entering. Mr. Otieno had walked into a neighbor's yard and picked up some of the light fixtures on the property and banged on the front door before his mother came to pick him up.
Mr Otieno has a long history of struggling with mental illness. His mother, Caroline Ouko, told police at the time that he was in mental distress. Eventually he was taken to a nearby hospital by ambulance.
“When they took him to the hospital, I knew he would come home,” said Ms. Ouko in an interview on Monday.
But then on March 3, police took Otieno from the hospital to the Henrico County Jail, where he is being held on charges of assaulting a law enforcement officer, disorderly conduct and vandalism. He spent the weekend there, while his mother tried to find out where he was and put him on medication. On the morning of Monday, March 6, a judge ordered Mr Otieno to be held without bail.
In the new video, which starts inside the prison just before 2:30 p.m. Monday, a group of officers can be seen standing outside the prison cell, as Mr Otieno slams his hand against the window. After Mr Otieno removed a piece of prison clothing that officers had tried to send through the food tray slot, a struggle ensued. At least five officers are seen grappling with Mr Otieno through the opening.
After the struggle was over, Mr Otieno looked distressed through the window, covering his face with his hands. An officer opened the door and six people rushed in, carrying Mr. Otieno to the ground. Although Mr Otieno was largely obscured from view at this point, an officer was seen throwing several downward punches.
Officers, occasionally joined by others, were seen crowding over Mr Otieno on the floor. After 14 minutes, six officers came out into the hallway carrying the limp body of Mr Otieno.
Another video from March 6 released on Wednesday shows officers leading Mr Otieno, whose pants are half down, to a carport. They first dropped him off in the back of a white van and then carried his body to the side of the van before taking him to the back door which opened. Eight officers lifted him up and put him inside. The doors closed, and the van left the carport at 3:09 p.m
Mr Otieno was pronounced dead less than three hours later.