Police Open Criminal Probe After 2 Cardiac Arrests in 2 Weeks at Minnesota Dental Office

Edited by Dentaltown staff

Two patients went into cardiac arrest during cleanings at the same Minnesota dental office in September, just two weeks apart. One of them, a 25-year-old man who was sedated for his appointment, died days later. Police are now running a criminal investigation.

The emergencies happened at Gendler Dental Center on Mainstreet in Hopkins, Minnesota, according to KARE 11 Investigates, which broke the story Oct. 12. The station reported that police are investigating two cases in which patients went into cardiac arrest during cleanings with sedation.

The first call came Sept. 9, according to police records obtained by the station. The report says a woman went into cardiac arrest during her cleaning appointment, needed lifesaving measures, and was taken to the ICU unconscious. That call was classified as “medical.” Her current condition was not reported.

The second call came Sept. 23, for a man who needed CPR and chest compressions. His family identified him as Edan Cherrill.

Cherrill’s mother had brought him in for a cleaning. He was sedated for the appointment, as he had been during past visits, because of sensory issues related to autism, according to KARE 11. He went into cardiac arrest during the procedure, and his family says he died days later at a hospital after being taken off life support.

Here’s the detail that changes the story. The Hopkins police report classifies the call in Cherrill’s case as “Death-Criminal,” and police confirmed to the station that both incidents are part of an active criminal investigation.

No charges have been reported. The station’s coverage does not say which provider treated either patient or whether the two emergencies are connected.

Rashanda Bruce, an attorney representing Cherrill’s mother, described him as full of life and deeply loved by his family. “The family just wants answers to understand what happened,” she told KARE 11.

The station cited a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association finding that cardiac arrest during sedation is possible but extremely rare, at fewer than two cases in 10,000.

KARE 11 said it contacted Gendler Dental Center multiple times and received no response.

The investigation remains open. Cherrill’s family is waiting for more information from police and medical authorities.

Sources:
KARE 11, “KARE 11 Investigates: Criminal Investigation into death of dental patient,” Oct. 12, 2026: kare11.com/investigations/criminal-investigation-death-dental-patient