Four protesters were arrested Monday during a demonstration demanding the firing of six deputies involved in the death of a mentally-ill woman at a Fairfax County jail.
Natasha McKenna, 37, of Alexandria, died in February 2015 after a confrontation with Fairfax County jail guards who were trying to transfer her to another facility. Guards used a Taser on her four times while she was partially restrained.
On Monday, an advocacy group delivered a petition to Sheriff Stacy Kincaid, demanding all six deputies involved be fired. Four people were arrested during a protest outside the county's courthouse. All four were charged with obstructing public access to the courthouse.
According to court documents, six deputies restrained McKenna in a chair while she was only wearing a smock. The officers used the Taser repeatedly and did not attempt to use any other means of resolving the situation, the documents say.
The death of McKenna, who was black, drew criticism from the Black Lives Matter movement and from advocates for the mentally ill. Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Ray Morrogh reviewed the case but declined to bring charges. He called her death a "tragic accident."
The sheriff's office says the protesters will be released on their own recognizance after they appear in front of the magistrate.
