A Chandler, Arizona couple had their children taken away by the Department of Child Safety in the middle of the night because they refused to take their child into the hospital due to a fever.
Parents Sarah Beck and Brooks Bryce took their 2-year-old son Heber to the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine to get looked at because of a fever. The doctor measured the child's temperature at 105 degrees and told them to take the child to the ER, with a concern for meningitis.
Later that day, the parents noticed that the child's temperature had dropped to 102 and decided not to take the child into the hospital, per doctor's orders.
The doctor became concerned and called DCS and that was when the authorities showed up to the couple's home in the middle of the night. Officers called the couple on the phone, and was told that the child's fever had broken, down to 100 degrees, and that he was fine... but the officers kicked the door down anyway and entered.
The officers believed that "there was a present danger [to the child] that required immediate medical attention" and that "Brooks and Sarah refused to come outside and refused to let DCS check on the welfare of [the child]."
A judge signed a court order which gave DCS temporary custody of the child order to get him medical treatment.
Officers mentioned that the home was cluttered and messy and that it was "difficult to walk in the rooms." Police also found a shotgun next to the parents' bed, that was not locked or secured.
Bryce clarified that "The clutter was laundry on our couch," and that the shotgun does not actually work. The children also told police that they had vomited several times in their beds.
Authorities took 2 of the children to the hospital by ambulance, and the third to DCS. So far, the parents have not seen or heard from their children since.
No charges were filed at the time.