KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety is investigating the death of a 16-year-old boy at Lakeside Academy on Tuesday.
When KDPS officers arrived after being called to the facility shortly after 1 p.m., they found the teen unresponsive, and paramedics could not revive him.
After being taken to Bronson Hospital, the teen died of cardiac arrest. His identity is not being released.
Investigators learned the teen was being restrained by staff.
Lakeside Academy is described on its web site as being run by Sequel Youth and Family Services, and “the backbone of treatment is making students aware of their behaviors and helping them to abandon the unacceptable behaviors and develop more appropriate behaviors.”
Lakeside Academy released a statement on the incident Friday evening:
"We are deeply saddened to learn about the passing of a student at Lakeside Academy after being restrained by staff during an incident on campus. We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of this young man and are focused on supporting them and our school community. While we are not providing additional details at this time out of respect for the privacy of the family and the ongoing law enforcement investigation, we are cooperating fully with the Kalamazoo Police Department and will use every tool at our disposal to investigate this incident, support those affected, and take appropriate disciplinary action. The health and well-being of our students is our top priority and all personnel at our facilities are trained to provide the highest quality of care. This incident does not reflect our mission to serve and care for our clients with excellence and we are committed to making the necessary changes to ensure something like this does not happen again."
