FORT WORTH, Texas - A Fort Worth dentist has been arrested following a months-long investigation into the death of a 4-year-old girl who became unresponsive during a dental procedure earlier this year.
According to the Fort Worth Police Department, officers arrested 48-year-old Dr. Chrishelle Hemphill on July 15 on a charge of Injury to a Child – Serious Bodily Injury.
The investigation began on April 1 when the Fort Worth Fire Department responded to a medical emergency at a dental practice in the 5300 block of Sycamore School Road.
Firefighters arrived to find a 4-year-old girl unresponsive. Police said the child had been brought to the office by her mother earlier that day for a dental procedure.
After the procedure was completed, the child failed to regain consciousness. She was transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The Fort Worth Police Department's Crimes Against Children Unit launched an investigation into the incident.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit, the Tarrant County Medical Examiner determined the child died from meperidine, also known by the brand name Demerol, toxicity. The medical examiner reported a concentration of 793 nanograms per milliliter of the drug in the child's system and ruled the manner of death an accident.
Investigators allege Hemphill administered meperidine along with other sedating medications before the procedure. The affidavit further states that medical experts consulted during the investigation identified failures in the child's monitoring and the emergency response after she became unresponsive.
Based on the findings, investigators concluded a criminal offense had occurred and identified Hemphill as the person responsible.
An arrest warrant was issued on July 15. Hemphill was located later that afternoon at approximately 3:42 p.m. and taken into custody without incident.
The investigation remains ongoing.
