Death Of Boy In Berea Group Home Ruled Homicide

A medical examiner says a 15-year-old boy died of asphyxiation after being restrained by a worker at a group home in the Cleveland suburb of Berea. Kenneth Barkley's Jan. 7 death was ruled a homicide. The Cuyahoga County medical examiner released the cause of death Wednesday. A police report says the teen refused to take his medication and struggled with a worker. The report says he flipped over a table and punched a hole in a wall, prompting the worker to "bear hug" him and take him to the floor. Police say the teen wasn't breathing when officers arrived, and they tried to revive him. A Berea police spokesman declined to comment Wednesday. A statement from group home operator OhioGuidestone says it supports workers involved in the situation.