Police arrest 4 in connection to hyperbaric chamber fire that killed 5-year-old Michigan boy: report

Police in Troy, Michigan, have arrested four people in connection to the death of a 5-year-old boy who was inside a hyperbaric chamber when it exploded at a medical facility in January, including the owner of the facility, according to reports.

FOX 2 in Detroit reported that Tammi Peterson, the founder and CEO of The Oxford Center in Troy, was arrested at her home on Monday morning just before 7 a.m. for the death of 5-year-old Thomas Cooper.

Peterson is expected to be charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter, the station reported.

Her company owned and operated the hyperbaric chamber that Cooper was inside when it exploded.

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Thomas Cooper died when the chamber he was inside exploded in Michigan. (Family of Thomas Cooper)

In addition to Peterson, three others are expected to be charged with the same crimes, while one of those three will also be charged with falsifying medical records.

FOX 2 reported that the names of the other three individuals have not been released.

The Detroit Free Press reported that all four are scheduled to be arraigned in district court on Tuesday.

The Troy Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for additional information and comment.

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Patients who receive hyperbaric chamber treatment will "enter a special chamber to breathe in pure oxygen in air pressure levels 1.5 to 3 times higher than average," according to Johns Hopkins. (© Daily News and Wicked Local Staff Photo/Ken McGagh/USA TODAY NETWORK)

When reached for comment, an attorney for the Oxford Center issued a statement to FOX 2, saying they are fully cooperating with investigators, though they are disappointed in the charges.

"The timing of these charges is surprising, as the typical protocol after a fire-related accident has not yet been completed. There are still outstanding questions about how this occurred. Yet, the Attorney General’s office proceeded to pursue charges without those answers," the statement reads. "Our highest priority every day is the safety and wellbeing of the children and families we serve, which continues during this process." 

On the day of the deadly explosion, the boy’s mother, Annie Cooper, was sitting in a waiting room while her son received treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and sleep apnea.

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Thomas Cooper died when the chamber he was inside exploded in Michigan. (Family of Thomas Cooper)

Thomas was receiving treatment that consisted of 100% oxygen on Jan. 31 at The Oxford Center, located about 24 miles north of Detroit.

"She was in the waiting room and was alerted that … something wrong had happened. She rushed back to where her son was, and she tried and tried and tried to get him out and … was unable to," James Harrington of Fieger Law told Fox News Digital. "She sustained serious, significant burns in that attempt to rescue her child."

Fieger Law is investigating the incident, and Harrington believes The Oxford Center "was understaffed and did not have the resources for an emergency like this."

The Oxford Center stated on its website: "Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is an alternative treatment which will decrease inflammation, oxygenate the entire body, stimulate the growth of new healthy blood vessels, and release stem cells, up to 800% more after 20 sessions. Studies have reported improvement in concentration, communication, working memory and sleep."

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When Troy police and fire officials arrived on the scene, Thomas was dead inside the chamber while Annie suffered injuries to her arm.

Annie and her husband, Thomas' father, James Cooper, buried the 5-year-old on Feb. 13. Thomas "was known to all his friends, family, and teachers as a curious, energetic, smart, outgoing, and thoughtful little boy," his obituary stated. 

Fox News Digital’s Audrey Conklin contributed to this report.