Update: The Commonwealth Attorney Anton Bell has requested that the Hampton Police assist Hampton University Police in the death investigation of a student who drowned at a campus party.
Hampton University will still be primary on this investigation.
Hampton, Va. - It was just announced on Thursday that Hampton city police will now join forces with Hampton University police in an investigation into a student's death.
This comes just one day after a memorial service was held at Ogden Hall for the 17-year-old David Esan who drowned last week at a campus pool party.
David was a pharmacy major from Maryland and a member of the choir. He was named one of Harkness Hall's 16 Men of Excellence.
NewsChannel 3 spoke with some of Esan's friends and fellow choir members who say they were shocked by what happened. They were deeply pained by his death.
His friends shared some of Esan's best qualities with us.
"His arguments, those were like the funniest thing about him. He could argue about anything especially the Baltimore Ravens and when they won the Super Bowl," says Matthew Belthrop, a friend and choir member.
"He just had a really warm spirit. He always had a smile on his face, nothing wrong," says Ronald Dean Johnson, another friend.
There are also several comments on Facebook describing how great of a student and friend Esan was to those who knew him best. It's obvious he will be deeply missed.
The family of David Esan, along with their attorney, Jasper Nzedu, made a statement on Wednesday saying they want city police to do a criminal investigation into what happened. They want it to be independent of the University.
Here is a statement from Hampton University:
Hampton University is extremely saddened by the death of one of our students, David Esan. We extend our deepest sympathy to the Esan family and friends for their profound loss. A memorial ceremony was held today in Ogden Hall. After the ceremony, the Esan family expressed concerns about the circumstances surrounding David’s death.
David drowned while attending a pool party at Holland Hall on March 20. Lifeguards and paramedics attempted to revive him on the scene until he was transported to Sentara CarePlex Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The investigation by Hampton University Police is ongoing.
The pool party at Holland Hall was sponsored by the Freshman Class and was one of the weeklong activities for Freshman Week. The party was staffed by two University administrators and three Hampton University Police officers. Also, there were three American Red Cross certified lifeguards on duty who performed two-person CPR. The lifeguards participate in four in-service trainings per year the most, recent in February. The lifeguards were positioned at an elevated stand, deck-level stand and at the pool deck during the party.
If you would like to help, you can make a donation in David’s honor by going to Davidesanmemorial.com
In the comment section on the website, David’s parents are urging anyone to post information about the night he died. They especially ask that other students at the pool party tell them what it was like and what they saw as well as upload any pictures.
