CANTON, Ohio — A Canton pastor is facing felony charges after a child died when he fell from the outside of a church van.

Rushon Patterson II, who leads Alive Now Church on Whipple Avenue NW, was indicted by a Stark County grand jury on Oct. 29 on the following charges:

Reckless homicide

Involuntary manslaughter

Riding on the outside of a vehicle

An arraignment hearing is set for Nov. 21 at 8:30 a.m.

CASE DETAILS

Court documents state that on Saturday, Sept. 6, Patterson knowingly allowed a minor to ride on the exterior of a motor vehicle he was operating.

The child, later identified as 14-year-old Malachi Nichols, fell from the van, suffered severe injuries, and died three days later.

Police reports indicate the incident occurred around 8:38 p.m. on Alan Page Drive SE. The veh

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