Video shows struggle that preceded restrained teen’s death
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Surveillance video shows a Black 17-year-old struggling with staff at a Wichita juvenile center last fall before he died after he was restrained facedown for more than 30 minutes.
Sedgwick County released 18 video clips late Friday afternoon of what happened before Cedric Lofton was rushed to a hospital on Sept. 24. He died two days later.
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The release of the clips followed Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett’s announcement Tuesday that the state’s “stand-your-ground” law prevented him from pressing charges because staff members were protecting themselves. He also said he struggled with whether an involuntary manslaughter charge was justified, but concluded it was not.
Sedgwick County’s webpage crashed after the video was posted, making it temporarily inaccessible. But it was back up by late Saturday afternoon. The hours of footage didn’t include audio.
One video shows several officers carrying Lofton into the Sedgwick County Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center while restrained in something called the WRAP, a device comprised of a locking shoulder harness, leg restraints and ankle straps. The sheriff’s office describes it as a way to restrain a person who is “out of control” so that they don’t hurt themselves or others.
According to Bennett’s report, Lofton had become paranoid and was hallucinating. His foster father said the situation got worse after the teen attended his grandmother’s funeral. At a foster official’s urging, the foster father drove Lofton to a mental health provider, but he walked away. When Lofton returned home, foster officials told the foster father to call police.
But the 5-foot-10, 135-pound Lofton resisted the officers who responded to the home, assaulting at least one of them, Bennett’s report said.
The WRAP was removed at the juvenile intake center, according to Bennett’s report.