Michigan Suspends License Of 2 Paramedics Who Declared Woman Dead

DETROIT, MI — The state of Michigan has suspended the licenses of two paramedics who declared a 20-year-old woman dead before she was later found to be breathing by funeral home staff.

Officials from the Southfield Fire Department announced the state's decision Friday, adding that the state has served letters of intent to suspend the licenses of the two other first responders at the scene when Timesha Beauchamp was declared dead Sunday.

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

All four of the paramedics and EMTs, who also serve as firefighters, remain on paid administrative leave while the city conducts its own internal investigation into the events, officials said Friday.

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.

Beauchamp, 20, 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.

Geoffrey Fieger, the attorney hired by Beauchamp's family, has questioned actions by personnel at the scene when she had been declared dead, claiming authorities had placed her body in a body bag for about two-and-a-half hours prior to arriving at the funeral home and that they ignored Beauchamp's Godmother who was at the scene and said she believed the girl was breathing.

Southfield Fire Chief Johnny Menifee said at a news conference Wednesday that those claims are erroneous.

Read More: Fire Chief Discusses Woman Found Alive At Detroit Funeral Home

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