Mich. Firefighters Suspended for Missed Body

May 13, 2011
Four Flint firefighters and a police officer have been suspended after a body was over looked at the scene of a fire last month.
Four Flint firefighters and a police officer have been suspended after a body was over looked at the scene of a fire last month, according to The Flint Journal.

The body of Luverne Wilson was found in a bedroom of the home on LeErda Street on April 17 by a friend about 12 hours after the fire.

"These five public safety employees have been suspended with pay, pending further investigation," Flint Public Safety Director Alvern Lock said in a press release. "Proper protocol is to search the house for any victims. Our investigation continues into whether all proper protocol and procedure was followed in this fire."

Neighbor Lawantha Willingham, who called 911 to report the fire, told the newspaper that she observed firefighters and the officer searching through the home before and after the smoke had cleared.

"There is no way in the world they should have missed that body," she said.

The police officer even gave her a card to pass on to the woman.

Another neighbor said that while mistakes were made, he was glad to hear that none of the responders lost their jobs.

"I don't think nobody should lose their job over it, but somebody should be disciplined," Charles Hinkle told the newspaper. "You wouldn't want nobody in your family left behind like that."

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