The death of teen Gynnya McMillen at an Elizabeth, Ky. juvenile detention center earlier this month just received a new update that sheds light on her mysterious passing. The 16-year-old was found dead in her sleep on Jan. 11, and according to the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting, guards at the facility used a martial arts move named “Aikido restraint” to subdue McMillen.
After the physical encounter, it is reported that the guards didn’t check on McMillen overnight, and once they found her unresponsive, they waited 11 minutes to administer CPR. Officials state the occurrence happened because McMillen refused to take off her hooded sweatshirt during her booking for a misdemeanor charge of domestic assault, Huffington Post reports.
A state official released a statement on the restraint method, writing the reason for this martial arts move was “to safely conduct a pat-down search and remove the youth’s hoodie. The purpose of having multiple staff involved in a controlled restraint is to ensure the safety of the youth and staff.”
CBS News reports that McMillen’s death is currently under investigation, but it’s still unclear as to whether or not the use of the restraint hold was the cause of her passing.