Family of man who died while being admitted to psychiatric hospital agrees to $8.5M settlement
By SARAH RANKIN
Associated Press
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The family of a man who died while handcuffed and pinned to the floor for about 11 minutes as he was being admitted to a Virginia pscyhiatric hospital has reached an $8.5 million settlement with the state, county and the sheriff whose deputies were involved in restraining the man. The agreement filed in Henrico Circuit District Court showed a judge approved the wrongful death settlement Tuesday. Twenty-eight-year-old Irvo Otieno died in March while being admitted into Central State Hospital. He was handcuffed and pinned to the floor while being admitted by seven sheriff’s deputies and three hospital employees. His death was ruled a homicide by asphyxiation.