All photos 📸 by Paulette Shipman-Singleton BLACK VIRGINIA NEWS HENRICO, VA — The funeral of Irvo Otieno took place yesterday at First Baptist Church in Chesterfield yesterday. Otieno died in police custody on March 6 as he was being moved from The Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Dinwiddie County, headed by Ann Baskervill, has charged ten people in Otieno’s death, including sheriff’s deputies and hospital employees at Central State Hospital, a state-run mental health hospital in Petersburg. The Otieno family has hired two attorneys: Mark Krudys and Ben Crump. A multi-million dollar wrongful death lawsuit is all but certain to follow.

Irvo Otieno’s mother, Caroline Ouko, speaks at her son’s funeral on March 29. Otieno’s brother Leon Ochieng, is a t left.

Richmond City Council President Dr. Michael Jones, former Richmond Mayor Dr. Dwight Jones, attorney Ben Crump and attorney Mark Krudys at First Baptist Church in Chesterfield, Va. “We can develop mental health courts where they will be treated like they have illness and not like they are criminals and degenerates not worthy of dignity and respect,” attorney Ben Crump said at Otieno’s funeral during his remarks.

Attorney Ben Crump speaks at Irvo Otieno’s funeral at First Baptist Church in Chesterfield on March 29, 2023.

Attorney Ben Crump at the funeral of Irvo Otieno on March 29, 2023.

Rev. Al Sharpton delivers the eulogy

The funeral program for Irvo Otieno.

➡️ SUBSCRIBE. “One had better die fighting against injustice than die like a dog or a rat in a trap.” —Ida Wells. 👨🏽‍💻 Send your press releases, submissions, tips, pitches, comments and corrections to BlackVirginiaNews@gmail.com.