Cornelius Fredericks, 16

Kalamazoo, Michigan
April 29, 2020

Agencies: Lakeside Academy for children in Kalamazoo Michigan | Michigan Department of Health and Human Services MDHHS | Sequel youth and Family Services

Cause of death: Choking


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Last updated: over 3 years ago

Overview

16 year-old Cornelius Fredericks was killed when two staff members at a youth academy in Michigan put their weight across his chest and abdomen and a third failed to seek medical attention, according to a county prosecutor. All three were charged on Wednesday with causing his death .

The teenager, Cornelius Fredericks, who was black, was one of about 125 children at Lakeside Academy in Kalamazoo, Mich., which offers programs for children with behavioral problems and other challenges. He had said “I can’t breathe” as he was being restrained, according to a lawyer, Geoffrey Fieger, who filed a lawsuit on behalf of Cornelius’s aunt on Monday.

Cornelius’s name has been featured in protests spurred by the killing in Minneapolis of George Floyd, who died last month after uttering the same anguished plea while a police officer knelt on his neck.

Two of the academy workers, Michael Mosley, 47, and Zachary Solis, 28, were charged with involuntary manslaughter for restraining Cornelius in a grossly negligent manner, a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison, said Jeffrey S. Getting, the prosecuting attorney in Kalamazoo County.

Mr. Mosley and Mr. Solis were also charged with two counts each of child abuse, crimes that are punishable by up to 10 years in prison, Mr. Getting said.

Legal Action

June 2020 MDHHS Director Robert Gordon Issues Statement About Actions Department is Taking in Response to Death of Youth at Kalamazoo Facility; Department Releases Investigation Report

June 2020 MDHHS Suspends License of Kalamazoo Facility Where Youth Died After Being Wrongly Restrained by Staff; Department moves to forbid restraints of youth to protect children and prevent future tragedies

On June 26 it was reported that three staff members at a residential facility in Michigan were charged with involuntary manslaughter.