Four individuals faced criminal charges on Monday in connection with the death of a 5-year-old Michigan boy in January. The incident involved an explosion in a hyperbaric chamber that resulted in the boy’s tragic death.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel brought forth second-degree murder charges against Tamela Peterson, the CEO and founder of the Oxford Center, Gary Marken, the director of operations, and Jeffrey Alan Mosteller, the safety director. Aleta Harward Moffitt, who was in charge of operating the hyperbaric chamber when the boy, Thomas Cooper, passed away, was charged with involuntary manslaughter as reported by the Detroit Free Press.
READ: Family Hires Law Firm After 5-Year-Old Boy Is Killed in Hyperbaric Chamber Explosion
Cooper was killed at the Troy facility on January 31. His mom was also injured in the explosion, according to WDIV.
Nessel highlighted that the officials at the Oxford Center disregarded international safety protocols, prioritizing financial gain over adhering to proper safety measures. It was disclosed by Danielle Hagaman-Clark, the criminal bureau chief for the Michigan Attorney General, that the hyperbaric oxygen chamber lacked a fire-suppression system.
According to the Detroit Free Press, prosecutors said the facility did not conduct a daily maintenance check on the chamber the day Cooper died. They allegedly also did not have a doctor supervising the procedure. Prosecutors also claimed that a licensed technician did not perform the treatment — nor was Thomas wearing a grounding strap.
The family’s attorney, James Harrington, told the Detroit Free Press that Cooper was undergoing treatment for ADHD and sleep apnea when the chamber exploded. Cooper’s mother tried to rescue her son from the device but she was forced to watch him burn to death, Harrington said.
“Poor Thomas … his last moments of life were being engulfed in flames and perishing in front of his mother. He was certainly aware of what was going on,” the lawyer commented.
Moffitt was also charged with intentionally placing false information on a medical record. Their arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday.
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