In a shocking incident, a Florida man unleashed a violent attack on a nurse at a hospital where he was undergoing treatment, causing severe injuries that could potentially result in the loss of vision in both eyes.
The man, identified as Stephen Scantlebury, 33, was admitted to HCA Florida Palms West Hospital under the Baker Act, a Florida law that allows for the temporary involuntary hospitalization of individuals. However, the law does not mandate any specific safety measures for the protection of hospital staff, as reported by WPTV. The horrifying assault took place around 1 p.m. on a Tuesday when Scantlebury unexpectedly leaped onto his bed and then onto the nurse, viciously attacking her with his fists.
According to details provided in a filed affidavit, a witness present in the room at the time immediately fled and sought assistance upon witnessing the brutal attack. Another witness recounted seeing Scantlebury viciously assaulting the nurse by repeatedly striking her in the face with his fists. The witness intervened by shouting at the assailant to stop, causing Scantlebury to flee the scene.
The nurse was critically injured and life-flighted to St. Mary’s Hospital, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said.
“Essentially every bone in the victim’s face is broken and the victim is likely to lose the use of both eyes,” the affidavit says.
Meanwhile, the violent patient ran out of the hospital and into traffic on Southern Boulevard, where Palm Beach County deputies took him into custody. He was taken for a medical evaluation and charged with second degree attempted murder with a hate crime enhancement. The sheriff’s office did not explain the hate crime enhancement.
According to the affidavit, another witness said that Scantlebury had “been acting paranoid” for several days, blaming various people for events they had nothing to do with.
HCA Florida Healthcare issued a statement saying it was paying for “our beloved colleague’s” full treatment. The Florida Nurses Association went further, saying it had “long been concerned” about their members’ safety.
“[W]hile there are OSHA and JCAHO standards in place, this continues to happen across the country,” executive director Willa Fuller said in the statement. “With concern about a longstanding nursing shortage, there needs to be substantive action by ALL stakeholders to prevent this kind of egregious action. We would like to see direct care nurses included in any initiatives related to violence against healthcare workers.”
Scantlebury is due in court on Tuesday.
