A Manchester man is facing charges of aggravated child abuse and first degree murder following the death of his infant son early Sunday morning, January 5th.
Manchester authorities were called to Tennova-Harton hospital in Tullahoma when doctors alerted them to severe injuries to a six-week old infant. The child was flown to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital to be treated at the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Saturday afternoon, but passed away at approximately 6:30 a.m. Sunday.
Gavin Clark, 21, was originally charged with aggravated child abuse. First degree murder charges were added after the infant passed away.
“This father has been charged with causing the death of his six-week old son through blunt force trauma, which resulted in a fatal closed head injury,” Coffee County District Attorney General Craig Northcott told Thunder Radio News. “Further, he negligently failed to seek immediate medical assistance for injuries to his infant son.”
The child was taken to Tennova with a story that the child was accidentally dropped. The incident allegedly took place at 1313 McArthur St. in Manchester.
“The doctor’s at Harton alerted our investigators that these injuries were not from a drop,” said Manchester Police Department Assistant Chef Adam Floied.
Manchester Police Department investigators traveled to Vanderbilt Hospital Saturday afternoon to monitor the welfare of the child and to interview the parents once more.
Clark is being held in the Coffee County Jail on a bond of $2 million.
