A New Autopsy Rules Death of 17-Year-Old Black Male Under Law Enforcement Custody a Homicide
The family of Cedric Lofton is demanding answers after an autopsy report and footage contradicts the original story they were given in September when Lofton died in the custody of law enforcement. Correspondent Stanely Green reports.
Cedric Lofton was 17 when he died in September under the custody of a juvenile detention center in Kansas. A preliminary autopsy didn’t reveal any foul play. That changed this week after the official report along with video footage contradicted the original cause of death.
The Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Center reports that Lofton tested positive for Covid-19 at the time of his death.
On September 24th, he was arrested after numerous complaints about his being “violent” towards his foster family. When he was taken to the juvenile center to be processed, he was shackled and then rolled onto his abdomen. After 4 initial snores, authorities say they couldn’t feel a pulse. Lofton was pronounced dead, two days later at a local hospital.
Dr. Timothy S. Gorrill, who is the Chief Medical Examiner, said in the autopsy that the cause of death was “complications of cardiopulmonary arrest sustained after physical struggle while restrained in the prone position.” Lofton weighed 135 pounds.
Lofton’s family released a public statement after the autopsy results were released on Monday.
According to the Medical Examiner, Cedric suffered “cardiopulmonary arrest … after a physical struggle while restrained in the prone position.”
This confirms our belief that Sedgwick County personnel at the Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center (JIAC) in Wichita killed Cedric.
As supported by the video evidence, these individuals unjustifiably and with excessive and unreasonable force pinned Cedric to the ground, ultimately killing the unarmed, 135-pound, 17-year-old African American teenager.
Cedric’s family anxiously awaits the findings of the criminal investigation and believes the Sedgwick County District Attorney should pursue criminal charges against the law enforcement personnel responsible for Cedric’s death.
Lofton’s cause of death is eerily familiar to restraint techniques used with Blacks — most famously (and recently) George Floyd at the hands of disgraced former police officer Derek Chauvin who recently pled guilty for his murder.
Authorities who are responsible for restraining Lofton have been placed on administrative leave. State and local authorities have said there is an active investigation into his death.
