Video shows struggle that preceded restrained teen’s death

WICHITA, Kan. – Surveillance video exhibits a Black 17-year-old battling employees at a Wichita juvenile middle final fall earlier than he died after he was restrained facedown for greater than half-hour.

Sedgwick County launched 18 video clips late Friday afternoon of what occurred earlier than Cedric Lofton was rushed to a hospital on Sept. 24. He died two days later.

The discharge of the clips adopted Sedgwick County District Lawyer Marc Bennett’s announcement Tuesday that the state’s “stand-your-ground” regulation prevented him from urgent costs as a result of employees members had been defending themselves. He additionally mentioned he struggled with whether or not an involuntary manslaughter cost was justified, however concluded it was not.

Sedgwick County’s webpage crashed after the video was posted, making it quickly inaccessible. Nevertheless it was again up by late Saturday afternoon. The hours of footage didn’t embody audio.

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One video exhibits a number of officers carrying Lofton into the Sedgwick County Juvenile Consumption and Evaluation Heart whereas restrained in one thing known as the WRAP, a tool comprised of a locking shoulder harness, leg restraints and ankle straps. The sheriff’s workplace describes it as a option to restrain an individual who’s “uncontrolled” in order that they don’t damage themselves or others.

In line with Bennett’s report, Lofton had develop into paranoid and was hallucinating. His foster father mentioned the state of affairs bought worse after the teenager attended his grandmother’s funeral. At a foster official’s urging, the foster father drove Lofton to a psychological well being supplier, however he walked away. When Lofton returned dwelling, foster officers advised the foster father to name police.

However the 5-foot-10, 135-pound Lofton resisted the officers who responded to the house, assaulting a minimum of certainly one of them, Bennett’s report mentioned.

The WRAP was eliminated on the juvenile consumption middle, in keeping with Bennett’s report. An unrestrained Lofton walked out of his holding cell after which tried to seize a pc monitor from the consumption counter.

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The video exhibits him resisting makes an attempt to position him again within the holding cell. At one level, he might be seen punching one of many juvenile detention staff within the head.

The video exhibits detention staff wrestle him into the cell and extra staff displaying as much as assist. The digicam doesn’t present an in depth angle of what’s occurring contained in the cell.

Bennett’s report mentioned employees shackled Lofton’s ankles and put him on his abdomen on the ground. His report mentioned Cedric was “mumbling” at occasions, repeated that he was Jesus and saying employees ought to kill themselves and that he would “hex” them. Workers seen he wasn’t respiratory after they known as to rearrange for Loftin to be taken to a hospital for a psychological well being analysis.

Finally, the video seems to point out staff flip Lofton onto his again and begin CPR. The employees scramble round earlier than paramedics arrive and cargo the teenager onto a gurney.