Nine staff members at Livonia mental health facility charged in abuse case
LIVONIA, Mich. (WJBK) - Three more employees of a Livonia mental health facility have been charged in connection to the physical abuse of patients at the facility.
The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office identified additional employees charged in connection to the charges: Delvan Johnson, 24 and Victor Peterson, 60. A third employee was erroneously charged in the abuses and all charges against her have been dropped.
Prosecutors allege in March of 2018, staff members physically assaulted three males who were mental health recipients at Livonia COPE (Community Outreach for Psychiatric Emergencies).
The other employees charged earlier this week are Kyle Jackson, 30, Wynton Dixon, 57, Demetris Hunt, 28, and Thomas May, 59, Hanumaiah Bandla, 64, and Erma Owens, 79. Johnson, Jackson, Dixon, Hunt, Peterson, and May are all facing 3rd-degree Vulnerable Adult abuse charges.
Jackson and Dixon are also facing Assault With Intent to Do Great Bodily Harm by Strangulation charges.
Dixon is also charged with failing to report abuse of a mental health patient.
Bandla, and Owens are all charged with failing to report abuse of a mental health recipient.
Prosecutor Kym Worthy didn't give any additional details about the abuse case, but said in a release the alleged abuse "is shocking."