Fire Chief Discusses Woman Found Alive At Detroit Funeral Home

DETROIT, MI — The chief of the Southfield Fire Department on Wednesday refuted claims by an attorney regarding the case of a woman who had been declared dead only to later be found breathing at a Detroit-area funeral home.

Southfield Fire Chief Johnny Menifee told reporters Wednesday that several claims made Tuesday by Geoffrey Fieger regarding the case of 20-year-old Timesha Beauchamp were erroneous.

"The family's attorney, Geoffrey Fieger, has made several grossly inaccurate statements, which I would like to address today," Menifee said.

In one claim disputed by Menifee, Fieger told reporters at a news conference Tuesday he believes that after Beauchamp was declared dead, police put her in a body bag at her family's home. The Associated Press reported that Fieger said Beauchamp was inside the bag, breathing, for about 2½ hours before she arrived at the funeral home.

"The most alarming and inaccurate statement is that a Southfield police officer or firefighter placed Ms. Beauchamp in a body bag," Menifee said. "That is absolutely untrue. It is not part of our standard operating procedures, nor do we carry that equipment."

Related: Woman, Declared Dead, Begins Breathing At Detroit Funeral Home

Beauchamp was declared dead Sunday by Southfield first responders after being found unresponsive and, according to authorities, not breathing at her suburban Detroit home. However, she was later found to be breathing by staff at a James H. Cole funeral home in Detroit, shortly before she was to be embalmed, according to Fieger.

Also, Fieger previously said that the Southfield Fire Department did not contact a doctor regarding the woman's apparent death, and also claimed the department did not contact a medical examiner.

"It's not true," Menifee said of the claims. "The fire department contacted a physician at Providence Hospital and relayed the patient's information."

In addition, Fieger previously told WXYZ that Beauchamp's godmother, a registered nurse, was present when paramedics arrived and said she had told them she had felt a pulse on the 20-year-old. He later said that first responders did not react to this statement by the woman, another claim Menifee said wasn't true.

"The police department immediately contacted the paramedics that were on scene," Menifee said. "They grabbed their equipment, they went back in the house and reassessed her for the third time and found her absent of all vital signs."

The chief maintained that an internal investigation continues regarding the Beauchamp case and that four people are on paid administrative leave following the incident. He said everyone has been cooperating in the investigation.

"It's going to take time for us to get the proper answers," Menifee said.

Beauchamp is in critical condition at Sinai Grace Hospital and is on a ventilator. She was born with cerebral palsy and has always needed constant medical care, according to The Associated Press.

Information and reporting from The Associated Press contributed to this report.