District Attorney: No charges in patient death

BROCKTON, Mass. (AP) - Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz has concluded there's insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges against corrections officers involved in the restraint of a mental health patient who died at Bridgewater State Hospital five years ago.

Cruz said his office conducted a review of the medical evidence in the investigation into the death of Joshua Messier, who died on May 5, 2009. His office had done the initial investigation into the death five years ago.

Cruz said prosecutors met separately with the medical examiner who conducted the autopsy, Dr. Mindy Hull, and the Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Henry Nields, to go over the autopsy findings.

Cruz said Hull's conclusions remained consistent with her initial autopsy and her conclusion that no specific actions of any corrections officers could be determined to be a cause of death. Cruz said Nields agreed.

Cox Media Group