3 Staff Members Charged in Death of Boy Who Went into Cardiac Arrest at Residential Facility

Three staff members at a residential facility in Kalamazoo, Michigan, have been charged after a16-year-old boy was restrained and later went into cardiac arrest and diedlast year.

Michael Mosley, 47, Zachary Solis, 28, and Heather McLogan, 48, werecharged with involuntary manslaughter, CNN reported, while Mosley and Solis also face two counts of second-degree child abuse. McLogan, meanwhile, faces one charge of second-degree child abuse.

According to the lawsuit, staff members of the facility — which provides behavioral health services to teens — allegedly performed an “improper restraint” on Fredericks after he allegedly threw a sandwich at someone.

Geoffrey Fieger, the family’s attorney, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Mosley’s attorney, Kiana Garrity, told CNN that her client plead not guilty and was following protocol at the time of the incident.

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Don Sappanos, an attorney for Solis, previously told CNN that Solis was also following procedures as well. “He is a gentle giant and had a great relationship with these kids,” Sappanos said.

Garrity, Markou and Sappanos did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

According to CNN, Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting said that investigators are currently looking at other staff members who may have been involved, and more charges are possible.

“We needed to make sure that we assessed the case and responsibility and took action as soon as possible against those we felt were most responsible,” Getting said, per the outlet. “We felt it was necessary to prioritize this case in a way that is seldom done.”

In a previousstatement, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced that it would no longer allow “physical restraints like the ones that cost this young man his life.” Aninvestigationfound that the restraints used were “significantly disproportionate to Fredericks' behavior.”

MDHHS also said it would reform its policies for childcare institutions in order to “address challenges before they become tragedies,” as well as take steps to revoke the licensing for Lakeside Academy.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

source: people.com