HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — The death of a man while in the custody of Henrico County Sheriff’s deputies in March is the driving force behind a mental health reform bill that Gov. Glenn Youngkin says he intends to sign into law next year.
On Thursday, Youngkin unveiled several efforts to address the mental health and substance abuse crisis, one of which is a bill that would give families and caregivers access to their loved ones in crisis while they’re receiving a mental health evaluation in an emergency room.
“In these moments of crisis, often being around someone who you know and who you love, and who cares for you helps prevent or deescalates a dangerous situation,” Youngkin said during a press conference.
The bill is being called “Irvo’s Law,” after 28-year-old Irvo Otieno, who died on March 6 at Central State Hospital in Dinwiddie County while in the custody of Henrico County Sheriff’s deputies.
Initially, The Henrico County Division of Police placed Otieno under an emergency custody order on March 3, after receiving a mental health call about him. Officers took him to a hospital in Henrico, where Otieno’s mother said she was denied access to him.
“My son called out for me at the hospital and I asked several times to see him, but I was denied,” said Caroline Ouko, Otieno’s mother.
Police said Otieno “became assaultive,” so officers took him to jail. Days later, on March 6, Otieno was taken by deputies to Central State Hospital in Dinwiddie to be admitted, but he died before treatment.
Otieno’s family has been advocating for mental health reforms that could have prevented what happened to him. They stood beside Youngkin on Thursday when he introduced the bill.
“Also, we are working with community leaders to ensure that African Americans who are in a mental-health crisis receive a loving hand, and not a violent police response,” said Leon Ochieng, Otieno’s brother.
Mark Krudys, the Otieno family’s attorney, weighed in on “Irvo’s Law.”
“We believe that, had she been able to see her son, the whole situation should’ve, could’ve been calmed down. She could’ve established that relationship, the rapport between both the doctor, the officers present at the hospital, and her son,” he said.
Youngkin believes that next year, this bill will get overwhelming bipartisan support in the General Assembly.
“The system failed Irvo, and we’re going to work together to fix it,” he said.
The family plans to meet with the new Dinwiddie Commonwealth’s Attorney to ensure the eight people indicted for second-degree murder in Otieno’s death are “zealously” prosecuted.
“Anything less will be an affront to my son, and the African American community as a whole,” Ouko said.
