Henrico County, Va. (Newsradiowrva.com) - The family of Irvo Otieno is suing Parham Doctors’ Hospital (PDH) for wrongful death.
Back in 2023, 28-year-old Otieno was at PDH receiving treatment for a mental health crisis when he got aggressive with police. He was taken to jail, then to Central State Hospital in Dinwiddie County.
He died at Central State Hospital while being restrained. Ten officers and hospital staff members were charged in the case, but all counts were later set aside.
On the two-year anniversary of Otieno’s death, there’s been a new development in the case. Otieno’s brother, Leon Dennis Ochieng, is suing HCA Health Services of Virginia for $25,000,000. The wrongful death suit contends PDH was negligent.
Although Otieno died at Central State Hospital, the lawsuit said his death was a direct result of PDH’s actions.
“On March 6, 2023, Irvo Otieno died as a direct, proximate, and foreseeable result of the actions and omissions of HCA Health Services of Virginia, Inc. This case is yet another sad example of the broken mental health crisis system in the greater Richmond metropolitan area that led to the tragic and senseless suffering and death of a vulnerable member of our community,” the lawsuit said in part.