Death of 17-Year-Old in Custody in Kansas Is Ruled a Homicide

The decease of a teen who mislaid consciousness aft helium was handcuffed by unit astatine a region juvenile halfway successful Wichita, Kan., portion lying facedown was a homicide, according to a Kansas aesculapian examiner.

The uncovering came respective months aft the authorities said that a preliminary autopsy suggested that the teenager, Cedric Lofton, 17, had not suffered life-threatening injuries portion successful custody.

Mr. Lofton was arrested connected Sept. 24 erstwhile the constabulary were called to a location successful Wichita aft helium began “exhibiting erratic and assertive behavior” toward his foster family, according to an autopsy study from the Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center.

The constabulary took Mr. Lofton to a region juvenile center, wherever helium fought with correctional unit members, who placed shackles connected his ankles, rolled him onto his abdomen and handcuffed his wrists down his back, the study said. He appeared to calm down and made “snoring sounds” but erstwhile unit members checked for a pulse 4 minutes later, they could not find one, the study said.

Mr. Lofton did not regain consciousness and died 2 days later, according to the report, which was filed successful Sedgwick County District Court connected Monday.

“In my opinion, Cedric Lofton died arsenic a effect of complications of cardiopulmonary apprehension sustained aft carnal conflict portion restrained successful the prone position,” wrote Dr. Timothy S. Gorrill, the main aesculapian examiner. “The mode of decease is homicide.”

The employees successful the corrections section who were progressive successful the occurrence person been placed connected paid administrative permission pending the results of the territory attorney’s investigation, Sedgwick County officials said successful a statement.

County officials said they could not remark connected the case, citing the “active investigation.”

The bureau of the region territory attorney, Marc Bennett, said successful a connection that it was reviewing the autopsy results and the “lengthy investigation” conducted by agents of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office.

“When a charging determination has been finalized, the nationalist volition beryllium notified,” the prosecutor’s bureau said.

The sheriff’s bureau declined to comment. Jeff Easter, the region sheriff, said successful September that a preliminary autopsy had recovered that Mr. Lofton did not endure life-threatening injuries astatine the center.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation said the probe into the teenager’s decease remained “ongoing.”

“Once the probe is completed we volition stock each investigative findings with the Sedgwick County territory attorney, who volition marque charging decisions,” Melissa Underwood, a spokeswoman for the agency, said successful an email.

Mr. Lofton was a precocious schoolhouse elder and planned to determination to California aft graduation to prosecute a philharmonic career, said Andrew Stroth, a lawyer based successful Chicago who is representing the teenager’s biologic parents and his older brother.

“He had a aboriginal and a beingness that was taken distant by the authorities successful Wichita,” Mr. Stroth said.

The household has been trying to get answers from officials for months astir the decease of Mr. Lofton and person been frustrated by what they spot arsenic a “lack of transparency” from instrumentality enforcement, helium said.

“You person an unarmed 135-pound teen successful custody that, without origin oregon provocation, is killed,” said Mr. Stroth, who is representing the household on with Steven Hart, different lawyer successful Chicago.

Mr. Stroth added: “The autopsy study is important due to the fact that it shows nonsubjective grounds astir what happened.”

He declined to accidental wherefore Mr. Lofton was successful foster care. The study described Mr. Lofton arsenic “well-nourished” and “well-developed.”

The information of subduing suspects facedown, oregon putting them successful a prone position, has been questioned aft the deaths of respective radical who were restrained successful specified a manner.

A increasing chorus of experts has argued that probe saying the presumption does not pb to deaths is flawed and has been applied excessively broadly.

Mr. Lofton ran distant from his foster location connected Sept. 21, according to the report, and returned connected Sept. 24 astir midnight.

The constabulary had planned to instrumentality him to a “behavioral wellness unit” astatine a adjacent hospital, the study said.

But erstwhile Mr. Lofton “assaulted 1 oregon much of the officers,” they took him to the Sedgwick County Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center, the study said. He was charged with 4 counts of artillery connected a instrumentality enforcement serviceman by the Wichita police, according to Sedgwick County officials.

Mr. Lofton was placed successful a compartment astatine 2:45 a.m. A correctional unit subordinate took him retired of the compartment astatine 4:20 a.m. and brought him into the lobby. He became “uncooperative and agitated” and 2 unit members tried to restrain him.

Mr. Lofton freed his limb and punched 1 of the unit members successful the head, the study said.

“Additional unit members” became progressive and shackled his ankles, the study said, citing video footage of the incident. Mr. Lofton kept struggling and astatine 5:08 a.m. helium was handcuffed and placed facedown.

When unit members could not find a pulse, they began performing thorax compressions and called for help. He was taken to a adjacent infirmary wherever “brain death” was pronounced connected Sept. 26, according to the report.

Mr. Lofton besides tested affirmative for Covid-19, the study said, and his look and respective parts of his assemblage were covered with bruises and abrasions.