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Family of Kenyan Man Killed by Police in the US to Get $8.5 Million

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Family of Kenyan Man Killed by Police in the US to Get $8.5 Million
Caroline Ouko, Mother of Irvo Otieno, Holds a Portrait of Her Son at a News Conference in March

The family of Irvo Otieno who died earlier this year after being handcuffed and pinned to the floor by sheriff’s deputies and medical staff members for approximately 11 minutes at a state psychiatric hospital has settled a lawsuit for $8.5 million with the state, county, and sheriff’s office.

An anonymous source confirmed on Wednesday that a settlement had been reached in the case of Irvin Otieno who was killed by police in Virginia. The Henrico County Sheriff’s Office and local officials did not respond to requests for comment. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin pushed for the settlement, acknowledging that no amount of money can replace a lost loved one. Similar settlements have been reached in other cases of police killings, including the $27 million settlement for George Floyd’s family in 2021 and a $1 million settlement for the family of Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta.

According to Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond School of Law professor, it is not shocking that Otieno’s settlement is significant given what he endured. The prosecutor charged ten individuals with murder, and their trials are pending. The defendants’ lawyers argued that the victim was confrontational. The seven deputies involved in the incident have been put on leave until the case concludes. The victim suffered from mental health problems and had picked up solar-powered lights from a neighbour’s lawn before his mother retrieved him.

When a neighbour reported a suspected break-in, the Henrico Police Department arrived on the scene and placed Mr Otieno under an emergency custody order. He was taken for assessment at a local hospital but allegedly became physically aggressive towards the officers and was subsequently charged with multiple counts. However, his family contests the police’s version of events. After being transferred to jail, Mr. Otieno was allegedly denied essential medication for his mental health. Following that, he was relocated to a state hospital, where surveillance footage shows deputies pinning him down.

4 COMMENTS

  1. Challenge – Changamoto
    Mama…

    Challenge – Changamoto

    Mama Otieno apokea dola $8.5 kutokana na kifo cha mwanawe akiwa chini ya ulinzi

    Solution – Suluhisho

    Watu waliouawa na askari polisi wa Kenya huko Nyanza wakati askari polisi walipoingia ndani ya nyumba zao na kuwaua watu ambao hawakuhusika na maandamano washikwe na serikali ya Kenya kuwalipa familia ya watu waliopoteza watu wa familia yao baada ya mauaji haya.

    Kwa nini Mjumbe wa Bunge Didmus Wekesa Barasa yungali katika Bunge la Kenya baada ya kushtakiwa kumpiga risasi na kumwuua msaidizi wa mpinzani wake mwaka uliopita?

    Kwa nini mpaka sasa waliohusika kuwateketezea watu waliojificha katika Kanisa la Kiambaa huko Eldoret 2007 hawajashikwa na kupelekwa mahakamani tangu 2007?

    “Those who cannot remember the past and condemned to repeat it.”
    – George Santayana

    “If you are silent in situations of injustice, you have taken the side of the oppressor.”

    – X Mpilo Tutu

  2. I think the lawyer is the…
    I think the lawyer is the only winner here.Sad that the young man died but no amount of money will bring him back or heal the family’s pain.

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