The state’s attorney for Arlington County has decided not to file charges in the death of a George Mason University student whose friend reportedly placed him in a headlock for 10 minutes to calm him down.
Singh’s family said they are outraged at the prosecutor’s decision and now are trying to file charges in federal court.
According to police and prosecutor accounts, 21-year-old Simran Singh was out with friends at D.C. nightclub Eye Bar when he became agitated that two of his underage companions were denied entry.
Singh’s friend Henry Agbemble, 26, a U.S. Marine who had served in Iraq, tried to persuade him to get back in the car. Forensics records show Singh had been drinking heavily.
Singh was already on probation for driving while intoxicated, and Agbemble said he was trying to prevent him from being arrested for public drunkenness, according to State’s Attorney Richard E. Trodden.
Agbemble forced Singh into the car and placed him in a headlock after Singh opened the car door while the car was moving, slammed his head into another passenger’s face and grabbed the steering wheel, veering the car into oncoming traffic, a letter from Trodden to Singh’s family said.
Ten minutes later, believing Singh had calmed down, Agbemble released the headlock and found Singh lifeless. He tried to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation while the group called 911, records show.
In November, the medical examiner’s office ruled the death from “acute stress-induced cardiac arrhythmia due to acute restraint” accidental.
“These individuals attempted to see to it that an impaired and agitated person got home safely,” said Trodden’s letter, dated Jan. 23. “Simran’s actions placed them in peril and he was restrained. His death as a result of that restraint was neither intended nor foreseen.”
Singh’s mother, Neena Singh, said she was shocked Trodden would not prosecute.
“This person admits he put my son in a chokehold for 10 minutes, and he’s letting this person go?” Singh said, crying. “I was shocked — I felt like holding Mr. Trodden from the shirt and going what are you doing?”
Singh said she is trying to file federal charges in federal court for kidnapping.
“I am not going to rest until I reopen this case and let a jury decide what is good and what is bad,” she said.
