A 43-year-old worker at the Midlands Regional Center is accused of dragging a resident down a hallway, throwing the person to the floor and putting both hands around the resident’s neck. The alleged attack reportedly left the vulnerable adult bleeding from a head wound and needing hospital care.
Corie Chandler was charged last Friday with abuse of a vulnerable adult after an incident investigators say happened June 18 at the state-run facility. According to WYFF News 4, the allegations are detailed in an arrest warrant requested after the Midlands Regional Center sought a South Carolina Law Enforcement Division investigation.
Warrant Alleges Resident Suffered Head Laceration
The warrant says Chandler allegedly grabbed and dragged the resident, throwing the resident to the floor in the hallway, after which the resident ran into a room. The resident reportedly hit the back of the head, and investigators said blood was visible down the person’s back.
The resident was taken to a hospital with a 3-centimeter laceration to the head, according to the warrant. Chandler had worked as a direct support professional at the Midlands Regional Center, which serves adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. According to the South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, the Midlands Regional Center is a residential ICF/IID facility where staff provide a broad array of medical, therapeutic and recreational services.
SLED Has Investigated Other Center Employees
The case is not the first recent SLED investigation involving the facility. In March, SLED announced charges against former direct support professional Shavan Pope, while a December release said former employee Kaitlyn McKenzie Davis had been charged with abuse of a vulnerable adult.
SLED also announced a 2023 abuse case involving former Midlands Regional Center employee Carrol Moore Hall. The agency has said the center requested investigations in multiple cases and that the facility is operated by South Carolina’s Office of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. According to the South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, BHDD-OIDD operates five regional centers across the state where individuals with disabilities live and are cared for by dedicated staff. According to the South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, BHDD-OIDD has a comprehensive system for reporting, collecting and responding to data related to abuse, neglect, exploitation or other critical incidents.
South Carolina Law Treats Abuse As A Felony
South Carolina law defines abuse of a vulnerable adult as a felony punishable by up to five years in prison, with higher penalties possible when abuse results in great bodily injury or death, according to the state’s adult-protection statute. SLED has investigated cases involving vulnerable adults at facilities operated by the Office of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
The allegations against Chandler have not been proven in court. The charge will move through the criminal court system, where prosecutors must establish the accusations beyond a reasonable doubt.
