Another Michigan official to face manslaughter charge in Flint water crisis

A special prosecutor says he'll add a charge of involuntary manslaughter against Michigan's chief medical executive in a criminal investigation of the Flint water crisis.

Dr. Eden Wells was in court Monday for a key hearing on other charges. But the hearing was postponed after the announcement by Todd Flood. Wells' lawyer couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

Five other people have been charged with involuntary manslaughter tied to an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in the Flint area in 2014-15. The attorney general's office says key officials knew about a spike in Legionnaires' but failed to tell the public until January 2016.

Some experts have blamed the outbreak on Flint's use of the Flint River. Legionnaires' is a type of pneumonia caused by bacteria that thrive in warm water.

• Print
• Email
• Tweet