Central State patient's family retains civil-rights attorney Ben Crump, their lawyer says

DINWIDDIE — The family of the man who died at Central State Hospital after being restrained by Henrico County deputies has retained civil-rights attorney Ben Crump. according to the family lawyer.

Crump will be introduced at a news conference Thursday afternoon called by Mark Krudys, the lawyer for Irvo Otieno's family at the Dinwiddie County Courthouse. His retaining was first reported by The Washington Post.

Crump is a nationally recognized attorney who gained attention for representing the families of Trayvon Martin, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, the Black victims in three high-profile U.S. murders in the last 10 years.

Otieno, a 28-year-old Kenyan living in Henrico County. died March 6 after Henrico deputies brought him to Central State. According to reports, during the admission process, Otieno became disruptive, prompting the deputies to restrain him.

Each of the deputies has been charged with one count of second-degree murder in Otieno's death. Dinwiddie commonwealth's attorney Ann Cabell Baskervill said a "disturbing" video from CSH surveillance showed the deputies throwing a handcuffed and shirtless Otieno face down on the floor and lying on top of him. According to Baskervill, the state medical examiner has preliminarily said Otieno died of asphyxiation.

The seven deputies appeared in Dinwiddie Circuit Court Wednesday morning. Two of them have been released on bond, and the other five are being held at jails in Brunswick and Hanover counties.

They have been identified as 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. Branch and Disse were granted bonds of $15,000 and $10,000 respectively, and ordered not to be in contact with anyone involved in the case while out.

A grand jury will convene next Tuesday to decide if the deputies will be indicted.

More: CSH death update: Two deputies granted bond, prosecutor details 'disturbing' video of restraint

More: Governor, police union weigh in on deputies' arrests following death at Central State Hospital

Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on Twitter at @BAtkinson_PI.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Mental patient's family retains high-profile civil-rights attorney