7 US officers, 3 hospital employees charged with murder in death of Black man

WASHINGTON

Seven Sheriff's deputies and three hospital employees have been charged with second-degree murder after a 28 year-old Black man died in police custody, according to reports on Thursday.

The three Central State Hospital employees were arrested and charged in Virginia state court on Thursday, CNN reported. They were identified as Darian Blackwell, 23, Wavie Jones, 34, and Sadarius Williams, 27.

Irvo Otieno, 28, died March 6 while being transferred to the hospital from a jail in Henrico County after being taken into custody. Henrico is located just southeast of Richmond, the state capital.

Ann Cabell Baskervill, the Dinwiddie County Commonwealth’s Attorney, said in court on Wednesday that Otieno was "smothered" to death, according to multiple local news outlets. She cited video of his final moments that depicts Otieno being held down for 12 minutes before he died.

"He died of asphyxia due to being smothered," she reportedly said, further calling the recording "extremely clear, extremely alarming."

The seven officers turned themselves in to state police Tuesday, according to CNN, and have been placed on administration leave.

Henrico County Sheriff Alisa Gregory said the events that led to Otieno's death "at their core, represent a tragedy because Mr. Otieno’s life was lost."

"This loss is felt by not only those close to him but our entire community," she added, noting her office is cooperating with the state police investigation and is conducting its own "independent review of this incident."

CNN identified the officers as 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.

They are slated to appear before a grand jury March 21.

The local police union issued a statement on Facebook expressing its support for the deputies.

"Policing in America today is difficult, made even more so by the possibility of being criminally charged while performing their duty," the Henrico Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 4 said in Facebook post.

"From news reports it appears that the Virginia State Police have not completed their investigation of the death, and the Medical Examiner has not released a cause or manner of death. With these things in mind, and cognizant of every accused’s presumption of innocence, we support our Brothers and Sisters, and hope for a quick resolution that clears their names," it added.