A preliminary autopsy report for the 17-year-old foster child who died Sunday two days after corrections staffers restrained him at a juvenile facility in Kansas revealed only minor injuries, officials said Thursday.
Cedric “CJ” Lofton, of Wichita, received “some scratches and a bruise” following a physical struggle with corrections employees at the Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center on Friday, Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter said at a news conference with Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett. “It is absolutely a tragic case. I want to assure the public we’ll be thoroughly investigating it. … We won’t leave any stone unturned trying to find out exactly what happened to Mr. Lofton.”
Sept. 29, 202101:26
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation into the teen’s death and will turn over its findings to Bennett.
A cause and manner of death have not been determined and a toxicology report is pending, Bennett said.
“There were no life-threatening injuries,” Bennett said. “Which is why toxicology is going to be … that important.”
Easter said Wichita police were called to the teen’s home about 1 a.m. Friday because he was said to be in crisis and “felt that people were out to kill him.” His foster parent wanted a mental health evaluation, Easter said.
The KBI has said Lofton was involved in a physical struggle with officers and arrested on four counts of battery of a law enforcement officer.
He was handcuffed and placed in a wrap restraint, a device used to prevent people from hurting themselves or others, officials said.
Neither the teen’s foster parent nor relatives could be reached for comment Thursday.
Lofton is Black. There were Black, white and Hispanic staff at the juvenile facility, said Lt. Benjamin Blick, spokesman for the county sheriff’s office.
Officials released additional details Thursday about the timeline after the teen’s arrest. Lofton was transported to the juvenile facility by Wichita police shortly after 2:30 a.m., and about three hours later, he became unresponsive after allegedly fighting with facility employees, officials said Thursday.
Workers at the juvenile facility began CPR at 5:18 a.m., Easter said. A few minutes later, emergency medical personnel arrived and continued CPR.
“At that point, they are able to get his heart started again,” Easter said.
Lofton died at a hospital just before 2 a.m. Sunday, officials said.
Officials have said that the teen attacked an employee at the juvenile facility as he was being escorted back to his cell from the restroom.
“Multiple corrections staff engaged in a lengthy physical struggle to get him into the holding cell and place him into handcuffs,” the KBI said.
Bennett declined to release additional details about the physical struggle between corrections staffers and the teen.
Melissa Underwood, a spokesperson with KBI, said in an email Wednesday that five Sedgwick County Department of Corrections employees “were potentially involved” in his restraint. The corrections personnel had been not been placed on administrative leave, she said Wednesday.
Authorities on Thursday also said there is video of the teen’s physical encounters with Wichita police and corrections employees at the youth facility. Easter said state law dictates his office can authorize bodycam and dashboard footage be viewed by certain parties including the subject of the video, some family or a lawyer, but not the public.
Bennett cited state law barring pre-trial publicity when he discussed video in the case. He said he expects the KBI to present a preliminary report to his office late next week. The report will help him determine whether to file charges, decide none are warranted, or conclude the investigation continues, he said.
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