‘When he died, I felt like I died’: Cedric Lofton’s brother, father share their grief
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Death of Wichita teen at Sedgwick County facility
Cedric Lofton’s foster father called authorities in September 2021 seeking help because the 17-year-old was hallucinating and needed to go to a mental health facility. Instead, police took him to the Sedgwick County Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center, where he had to be resuscitated after he was held facedown for more than 30 minutes during an altercation. He died two days later.
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Cedric “CJ” Lofton’s brother and father each spoke briefly about their loss and resolve for justice during a virtual event hosted by community activists Thursday.
“I have never been closer to a human being on the face of this Earth. There’s no one I’ve been closer to than my brother, so when he died, I felt like I died. I still feel dead. I feel like a dead man walking, honestly,” Marquan Teetz said.
CJ’s biological father, Chad Lofton, remembered the 17-year-old as a caring person, a talented musician and “the heart to our family.”
“Remembering him as a baby — that there hurts me the most,” Lofton said. “Those years, seeing him born. Every time he would cry, I’d pick him up, give him his bottle, lay him on my chest, and he would go to sleep. I’d pat him on his back and he’d go to sleep. That was about every night when he was a baby.
“Gone too early. My baby, gone too early.”
Lofton’s biological family has made few public comments since he was fatally restrained by Sedgwick County juvenile corrections officers Sept. 24. His mother, Sarah Harrison, spoke with The Eagle three days after he died.
Andrew Stroth, one of the Chicago-based civil rights lawyer representing Lofton’s biological family, also spoke during the livestream, which was hosted by the Community Empowerment & Resilience Coalition, the primary local activist group that has coordinated demonstrations since Lofton’s death.
“The tragedy is, there’s no justice because Cedric’s not coming back,” Stroth said.
But Stroth offered hope for the family and activists who are demanding accountability after the Black teen’s death.
“We can make sure that Cedric’s life — it matters and it’s going to effectuate change in America and change in Kansas,” Stroth said.
Teetz said he’s committed to honoring his brother through action.
“I want to push what I feel like my brother wants pushed,” Teetz said.
“Whatever needs to be taken care of, I’ve just got to make sure I get it done.”
At 4 p.m. Thursday, the community joint task force reviewing Lofton’s death on behalf of the city and county will meet for the first time on the third floor of the Ronald Reagan Building.
Sedgwick County Manager Tom Stolz said last week that the task force won’t have access to personnel records, subpoena power or the authority to interview the government employees who interacted with and restrained Lofton.
The task force was announced on Jan. 19, the same day District Attorney Marc Bennett said publicly that no one involved in the in-custody death would face criminal charges.
This story was originally published February 3, 2022 at 12:36 PM.
