The residents of Flint feel that justice will not be served six years after the city turned off the water supply from Detroit and allowed the Flint River to be the city's main water source, which has caused deaths and contamination exposure.
In the aftermath of the water shift, at least 12 people died and up to 12,000 children were exposed to contaminated drinking water, Bridge Michigan reported. Flint residents sought help, but state officials largely ignored their pleas.
Bishop Bernadel Jefferson of Faith Deliverance Center Church in Flint told Bridge Michigan a big concern was that justice would never come because most felonies have a statute of limitations of six years, and that date came and went in April.
She said there has been very little communication between community leaders and the Attorney General regarding the case's progress since last year.
“There’s still people dying, ending up with cancer. You can do whatever you want to me and nothing happens to you?” Jefferson told Bridge Michigan. “That tells me that a dog’s life is worth more than a human being’s to those that are in authority in Michigan.”
However, Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, who are leading the criminal investigation, said that the criminal statute of limitations is not up six years from the date the water switched to the Flint River.
“Criminal statutes of limitations vary depending on the offense and the date of the alleged criminal act,” the statement from Hammoud and Worthy read, according to Bridge Michigan. “Though we cannot comment on the specifics of our investigation, we remain on track, and we are delivering on our commitment to the people of Flint.”
Courtney Covington, a spokesperson for the Attorney General's office, said that the Attorney General still planned to file charges and that they've had to be quiet for a reason. "We want to make sure nothing jeopardizes the integrity of this investigation,” Covington told Bridge Michigan.
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