Paid –Irvo Otieno’s Family living in the United States of America will be compensated a whopping U.S Dollars 8.5 million being an equivalent of sh 1.2 billion in Kenyan money.
Irvo, who was 28 years old then, succumbed while being controlled by seven police officers at a mental facility in the United States.
In the images which were shared among various media houses across the world, the late was seen handcuffed as legs were also tied together by a total of seven US police officers who forced him on the ground for not less than 11 minutes.
Murder charges
On picking up the case, the State prosecution chased after the second-Degree murder charges against the seven cops who had participated in the killing.
Additionally, three workers at the facility were also charged alongside the suspect cops with later the prosecution dropping any charges against two workers at the hospital.
The remaining eight were then pressed with the murder charges and were required to defend themselves against the State.
In one of the court sessions captured over the murder, Defense lawyer in the matter argued that the late Otieno was not only combative but was also risky and in a tense mood.
This, the lawyer said, forced the police men to use all mechanisms at their disposal to try and keep him safe as well as the safety of other workers and patients at the facility.
Tussle for Compensation
Though the State County and sheriff’s office did not immediately admit liability in the settlement saying their actions did not lead to the death, they would later agree to pay the money.
Otieno’s death added to the increasing number of police brutality against black victims in the United States of America.
His death happening just a year after another black man, George Floyd, was killed under the same circumstances by police men in the Minneapolis State.
Otieno’s mother, Caroline Ouko, said that she had rushed to get him medication on March 3, 2023, but found her son had been restrained by the officers on the bed ready to be taken to jail.
But in a rejoinder, authorities said that Otieno had become aggressive to the officers and had to be taken to Henrico County jail.
Three days later, on March 6, the 28-year-old man was returned to Perham Doctors’ Hospital where he would be pronounced dead.