Lawsuit Alleges Fatal Restraint and Chemical Injection of 21-Year-Old at Development Center

Accusations have been leveled against health services employees in Arkansas, alleging their involvement in the tragic death of a 21-year-old man at their facility. The young man died after being restrained face down for almost 13 minutes and subsequently injected with a chemical, raising serious concerns about the handling of his care.

The incident occurred on September 7, 2025, at the Southeast Arkansas Human Development Center. Following this unfortunate event, the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) conducted an investigation. The findings indicated that the staff failed to adhere to established protocols, resulting in disciplinary actions against the employees involved.

The victim, Zachary Moore, had a mental capacity similar to that of a 5-year-old, according to his mother, Angela Stephens. In the wake of her son’s death, Stephens is pursuing a settlement of $725,000 from the state, as reported by CBS affiliate KTHV.

The DHS report released in October provides further insight into the circumstances surrounding Moore’s death. On the day of the incident, Moore reportedly became aggressive, attempting to bite other residents. Staff at the facility tried unsuccessfully to restrain him, leading them to administer Geodon, a chemical restraint. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Geodon is typically prescribed for treating schizophrenia and certain episodes associated with bipolar disorder.

Tragically, it was only after administering the drug that the staff discovered Moore was no longer breathing, marking a heartbreaking conclusion to an already distressing situation.

The Arkansas DHS report does not name Moore, but his family confirmed to the local TV station that the report concerns their son. His mother recalled the moment the facility contacted them with troubling news, saying, “We got the phone call, and the head nurse just told me that Zachary’s passed… that’s it, nothing else.”

“We called for hours,” she added. “It was nearly three hours before we got anybody who called us back.”

Arkansas DHS said as part of its report that 11 DHS employees were put on administrative leave, and one was fired. The agency also changed its leadership at the facility, naming an interim superintendent, and said “additional steps to hold staff who did not follow procedure accountable” would be taken as the investigation continued.

“The loss of one of the residents entrusted to our care at the Southeast Arkansas Human Development Center was wholly unacceptable and is not reflective of the level of care we work to provide Arkansans every day,” Arkansas DHS Secretary Janet Mann said in October. “We offer our deepest sympathies to the individual’s family and are working to both hold accountable those responsible for this incident and make changes throughout our system to prevent future tragedies.”

“While we are limited in the specific information we can provide because of ongoing investigations and to respect the privacy of the resident who died, the information we have shows that there were significant issues throughout the handling of this case,” she added.

According to KTHV, Moore’s death certificate declared his death a homicide as a result of “physiologic stress associated with struggle and prone restraint.” Six people have since been charged with manslaughter and neglect of a vulnerable person in Bradley County, and all are set to appear in court on March 30.

Law&Crime has reached out to the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office for more details on the charges.

Stephens said her son was happy and “loved arts and crafts and loved tractors.”