Facebook exec calls brother’s tasing death in Millbrae a ‘miscarriage of justice’

Ekene Okobi, sister of Chinedu Okobi, cries while being comforted by her brother, Tobenna Okobi, during a press conference held by Attorney John Burris calling for an investigation into the death of Chinedu Okobi at the hands of San Mateo County sheriff's deputies following a memorial service for Okobi held at San Francisco Christian Center in San Francisco, Calif. Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2018. less Ekene Okobi, sister of Chinedu Okobi, cries while being comforted by her brother, Tobenna Okobi, during a press conference held by Attorney John Burris calling for an investigation into the death of Chinedu ... more Photo: Jessica Christian / The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Jessica Christian / The Chronicle Image 1 of / 7 Caption Close Facebook exec calls brother’s tasing death in Millbrae a ‘miscarriage of justice’ 1 / 7 Back to Gallery

The family of a black man who died last month after being tased by San Mateo County sheriff’s deputies said video of the incident contradicts law enforcement’s claims that the man attacked officers and instead shows an unarmed person of color once again being targeted solely for his appearance.

On Oct. 3, 36-year-old Chinedu Okobi was on the 1300 block of El Camino Real in Millbrae when a sheriff’s deputy approached him and, shortly thereafter, called for more officers, including two deputies, who tased Okobi and caused him to go into cardiac arrest. Okobi was transported to Mills-Peninsula Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

More than six weeks passed before members of the Okobi family and civil rights attorney John Burris gathered in a room Friday at the office of District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe to watch a 30-minute video of the incident, compiled from dashboard cameras, witnesses’ cell phones and some surveillance footage. The family had been asking to see the videos since the fatal encounter, said Ebele Okobi, the slain man’s sister.

While authorities have said Chinedu Okobi was running through traffic and acting erratically, his sister told The Chronicle that video shows he was walking on the sidewalk when a deputy approached him for no reason, leading her brother to cross the street before being tased, tackled and beaten with a baton.

“I want the videos to be released,” she told The Chronicle. “If people saw what my family saw, they would see what a miscarriage of justice it was. They would see why we’re so appalled that police officers could do this.”

In a lengthy Facebook post Sunday, Ebele Okobi, who works as the social media company’s public policy director to Africa, said the video she and her family watched refutes statements from the Sheriff’s Office. She also criticized Wagstaffe for repeating this version of events, and called on the district attorney to publicly release the video, which the family says will clearly show the father of one was a victim of excessive force.

Ebele Okobi and the rest of the family also called for an independent investigation of both the incident and the officers involved. The Sheriff’s Office identified the four deputies and one sergeant implicated in the case: John DeMartini, Alyssa Lorenzatti, Joshua Wang, Bryan Watt and David Weidner. All of the officers were put on administrative leave but have since returned to the job, a spokeswoman said.

Ebele Okobi said her brother was walking down the sidewalk, not running in and out of traffic, when a deputy approached him. Chinedu Okobi made an inaudible comment, walked to the intersection and crossed the street but did not attack the deputy, she wrote.

The county district attorney’s office is investigating the incident. Wagstaffe decided to share the video with the family while the investigation is ongoing, he said, the first time he’s ever made such a decision.

“They asked to see the video, and in the normal course of events we would say no,” Wagstaffe said. “They’re grieving and I made the decision to let them have a look at it. It was the right thing to do.”

The district attorney’s office is still waiting on Chinedu Okobi’s autopsy report and a few more interviews with witnesses before making a decision on whether to file criminal charges against the deputies. Wagstaffe expects to release a report, including all videos of the incident, by mid-December, he said.

Burris has pursued similar cases against Bay Area law enforcement agencies in the past, and he said he was considering a civil case against the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, especially after watching the video. He added that he expects to file a claim once the investigation has been completed next month.

The incident has garnered international attention in yet another fatal interaction between police and an unarmed black man. This case, however, could be complicated by Chinedu Okobi’s history of mental illness. Ebele Okobi said her brother had a “pathological” fear of police.

“He was a person who never even got speeding tickets,” she said. “I’m sure as this (incident) was happening, it was his worst nightmare.”

Three people have died just this year in San Mateo County after being tased by law enforcement. Wagstaffe declined to file charges in both of the earlier incidents.

Earlier this month, the district attorney’s office cleared Redwood City police officers of wrongdoing in an August incident that left 55-year-old Raamzi Saad dead. Police responded to calls that a man was acting erratically and, similarly to Chinedu Okobi’s case, Saad had a history of mental illness. Saad went into cardiac arrest and later died after officers tased him and physically subdued him.

In January, 34-year-old Warren Ragudo, of Daly City, died after an officer tased him while two other officers pressed their weight upon him.

Ashley McBride is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ashley.mcbride@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ashleynmcb