Autopsy: Death of Black Kansas teen in custody was homicide

By JOHN HANNA
Associated Press

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An autopsy report says that a Black youth’s death following a physical struggle with staff at a Kansas juvenile center was a homicide. The autopsy report released Monday contradicts an earlier, preliminary finding that 17-year-old Cedric Lofton hadn’t suffered life-threatening injuries. The report said Lofton’s heart and breathing stopped after he was handcuffed while lying on his stomach. Lofton had briefly been in the custody of the Sedgwick County Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center in Wichita when his altercation with staff members occurred Sept. 24. He was taken to a local hospital and died two days later. Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said he is reviewing the report.