The mother of Irvo Otienothe Black man who was reportedly killed by seven deputies at a state-run mental hospital in Virginia, says the “traumatic” video shows him being “tortured” like an animal… worse than a dog.”
“My son was treated like a dog, worse than a dog,” Caroline Ouko said on Thursday after seeing the “disturbing,” “disturbing” and “traumatic” footage of her 28-year-old’s death -old son on March 6.
“My Son Was Tortured. I Saw The Torture,” said the Victim’s Mother
He continued: “My son was tortured. I saw torture,” he said of “seven officers on one man,” including one allegedly pressing his son with a knee to his neck, which was eerily similar to the death of George Floyd, the New York Post reports.
“He was treated inhumanely. It was traumatic — and it was systemic,” she said, adding that the abuse “went on and on until she died.”
Randy Joseph Boyer, 57, of Henrico; Dwayne Alan Bramble, 37, of Sandston; Jermaine Lavar Branch, 45, of Henrico; Bradley Thomas Disse, 43, of Henrico; Tabitha Renee Levere, 50, of Henrico; Brandon Edwards Rodgers, 48, of Henrico; and Kaiyell👇🏾 pic.twitter.com/be6xba0BaA
— 🤎⚜️DarkAveryMariah⚜️🤎 (@DarkAveryMariah) March 15, 2023
He added: “He was killed! They stopped my baby from breathing. They killed my baby,” she said, fighting back tears as she said: “I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.”
No One Stood Up To Help Her: ‘There Was A Chance To Save Her’
She also spoke of the pain she suffered that “no one stood up to help” her son, who voluntarily went to a local hospital to seek help before being taken to jail and ultimately euthanized at Central State Hospital, a facility on mental health in Petersburg.
“Mental illness should not be your ticket to death. There was an opportunity to save him,” she said. “We have to do better.”
CONNECTION: Seven Virginia Deputies Charged with Manslaughter in Death of Black Man at State-Run Psychiatric Hospital
Meanwhile, Otieno’s older brother, Leon Ochieng, said he was on his way home to Virginia for his weekend when it turned into a “tragic, senseless, inhumane nightmare.”
“Words cannot describe what I saw today,” he said of the footage of his brother’s death that left his family devastated.
“What I saw was a lifeless person, without any representation. No regard to his human life,” he said.
What to Know About Irvo Otieno, Whose Death in a Mental Health Facility Led to 10 Murder Charges https://t.co/nXeVqv21rg pic.twitter.com/hFRmMGX025
— Forbes (@Forbes) March 17, 2023
He continued: “I witnessed a homicide. I never thought in my life that I would witness my own blood brother being murdered,” he said, who had to stop hugging his mother after being overwhelmed.
Seven Deputies Charged with Second-Degree Murder In Otieno’s Death
Seven deputies were charged with second-degree murder. They are 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.
Acclaimed civil rights lawyer Benjamin Crump, who is representing the family, said the video showed Otieno was pinned for about 11 to 12 minutes before he died of asphyxiation.