Video shows deputies immobilized Otieno

Virginia man pinned to floor before his death

DINWIDDIE, Va. – Multiple people pinned Irvo Otieno to the floor of a hospital’s admissions unit before the 28year-old Black man died on March 6, according to new footage.

The roughly 90-minute video, which can be found via a link in public court filings, is at the center of a second-degree murder case that commonwealth’s attorney Ann Cabell Baskervill presented Tuesday morning to a grand jury. Ten people – seven Henrico County sheriff ’s deputies and three Central State Hospital employees – were named suspects in Otieno’s death.

A grand jury in Dinwiddie County signed off Tuesday on second-degree murder charges for all 10. The seven deputies charged are Jermaine Lavar Branch, 45; Bradley Thomas Disse, 43; Randy Joseph Boyer, 57; Dwayne Alan Bramble, 37; Tabitha Rene Levere, 50; Brandon Edward Rodgers, 48; and Kalyell Dajour Sanders, 30. The hospital employees are Darian M. Blackwell, 23, Wavie L. Jones, 34, and Sadarius D. Williams, 27.

Otieno died days after he was identified as a potential suspect in a possible burglary. He was taken to the hospital and later arrested and charged with assault on a law enforcement officer, disorderly conduct in a hospital and vandalism, Henrico County Police said.

The preliminary cause of death is asphyxiation, Baskervill said. The medical examiner’s preliminary ruling has the manner of death as a homicide. At the request of Otieno’s family, Baskervill said she would release the video after the grand jury reached its decision. Attorneys for two of the defendants tried to prevent the video’s release.

Attorneys for suspects respond after indictments

Caleb Kershner, an attorney for Deputy Randy Boyer, said in court Otieno had been “somewhat combative” at the jail and hospital. He said Boyer did not realize Otieno was in any danger as he was being restrained because Boyer was working near his legs.

“Clearly, there was a significant need to restrain this man given the mental health issues that were going on,” Kershner said.

Jeff Everhart, an attorney for Deputy Brandon Rodgers, said his client had been trying to help by moving Otieno to his side. But Baskervill said the video shows Otieno was moved on his side only when someone from the hospital came in and told him to roll him over.

Rhonda Quagliana, an attorney for one of the hospital employees, Sadarius Williams, said in an emailed statement her client was innocent of the charges. She said he had only minimal physical contact with Otieno and did not apply lethal force during the incident.

Douglas Ramseur, who represents another hospital employee, Wavie Jones, asked the judge Tuesday to implement a gag order in the case, arguing that the release of the video and subsequent media attention had damaged the defendants’ ability to get a fair trial. The judge, who granted bond for Jones, declined to grant the gag order.

Attorney Ben Crump, family call for video release

At a March news conference outside the Dinwiddie, Virginia, courthouse, Otieno’s family and their attorneys called for Baskervill to release the hospital video, as well as a video taken at the Henrico County Jail. Baskervill told The Progress-Index Sunday she does not plan to release that video, but said the decision could change.

A memorial service for Otieno has not yet been scheduled, according to his family. His brother, Leon Ocheingo, created a GoFundMe account to cover final expenses.