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| Michigan Official Is Charged With Involuntary Manslaughter in Flint Water Crisis | Michigan Official Is Charged With Involuntary Manslaughter in Flint Water Crisis |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| FLINT, Mich. — The head of Michigan’s Health Department has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with Flint’s tainted water crisis, court documents filed on Tuesday showed. | |
| The criminal charge against Nick Lyon, the director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, is the one most directly linked to the deaths of residents in the three-year-old water contamination case. The water has been tied to the lead poisoning of children in Flint and the deaths of 12 people from Legionnaires’ disease. | The criminal charge against Nick Lyon, the director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, is the one most directly linked to the deaths of residents in the three-year-old water contamination case. The water has been tied to the lead poisoning of children in Flint and the deaths of 12 people from Legionnaires’ disease. |
| “Defendant Lyon’s acts and failure to act resulted in the death of at least one person,” the charging document said. | “Defendant Lyon’s acts and failure to act resulted in the death of at least one person,” the charging document said. |
| The document also said: “Defendant Lyon exhibited gross negligence when he failed to alert the public about the deadly outbreak and by taking steps to suppress information illustrating obvious and apparent harms that were likely to result in serious injury. Defendant Lyon willfully disregarded the deadly nature of the Legionnaires’ Disease outbreak.” | The document also said: “Defendant Lyon exhibited gross negligence when he failed to alert the public about the deadly outbreak and by taking steps to suppress information illustrating obvious and apparent harms that were likely to result in serious injury. Defendant Lyon willfully disregarded the deadly nature of the Legionnaires’ Disease outbreak.” |
| Mr. Lyon was also charged with misconduct in office. If convicted of involuntary manslaughter, he could face 15 years in prison. | Mr. Lyon was also charged with misconduct in office. If convicted of involuntary manslaughter, he could face 15 years in prison. |
| Before Tuesday’s charges, 13 people had been charged in the crisis, but the charges had included accusations of misconduct in office and conspiracy to commit false pretenses, and appeared less directly tied to deaths than the one against Mr. Lyon. | Before Tuesday’s charges, 13 people had been charged in the crisis, but the charges had included accusations of misconduct in office and conspiracy to commit false pretenses, and appeared less directly tied to deaths than the one against Mr. Lyon. |
| Over past months, three Flint officials, including a former director of the city’s Public Works Department and a former utilities director for the department, were charged. And 10 state officials — including two state-appointed emergency managers assigned to oversee Flint, a state epidemiologist and the former leader of the state municipal drinking water office — faced charges. | Over past months, three Flint officials, including a former director of the city’s Public Works Department and a former utilities director for the department, were charged. And 10 state officials — including two state-appointed emergency managers assigned to oversee Flint, a state epidemiologist and the former leader of the state municipal drinking water office — faced charges. |
| Mr. Lyon had been told in a letter last year that he was a target of the investigation, his lawyer said. | Mr. Lyon had been told in a letter last year that he was a target of the investigation, his lawyer said. |