FARGO, N.D. (AP) — A former employee at a North Dakota care center was sentenced Monday to two years in prison for the death of an elderly resident.
Rachel Cooper, 60, pleaded guilty to negligent homicide in the August 2021 death of 78-year-old Gary Pearson. In addition to prison time, a jury in Fargo sentenced Cooper to two years of supervised probation, court records show.
A phone message left with Cooper’s attorney wasn’t immediately returned.
Authorities said Pearson was pushed and fell on Aug. 3, 2021, at Maple View Memory Care center. He later died.
A criminal complaint said Cooper was cleaning Pearson’s bathroom and that the two appeared to have struggled over the bathroom door.
The complaint said Cooper pushed Pearson with both hands, causing him to fall backward. She later told police Pearson was keeping her from leaving the bathroom. She said she pushed him with one arm, causing him to trip and fall.
