Inset: Stephen Scantlebury (Palm Beach County Jail). Background: HCA Florida Palms West Hospital where Scantlebury allegedly attacked a nurse (WPBF/YouTube).
A Florida nurse likely will be blind for the rest of her life after a patient allegedly attacked her unprovoked.
Deputies from the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office wrote an arrest affidavit that the patient, later identified as 33-year-old Stephen Eric Scantlebury, had been admitted to HCA Florida Palms West Hospital under the Baker Act, which allows people to be involuntarily detained and examined for mental health issues, and was receiving treatment. Shortly before 1:30 p.m. Tuesday the nurse walked into Scantlebury’s third-floor room. Witnesses said the suspect inexplicably “jumped on top of his bed, and then jumped onto and attacked the victim,” according to the affidavit.
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Scantlebury allegedly stood over the victim and repeatedly punched her in the face. A witness yelled for him to stop and he ran out of the room. He fled down the hallway and into the stairwell where he went down to the first floor and escaped from the hospital. The suspect, shirtless and still wearing patches from an EKG monitor, reportedly sprinted across the parking lot and into traffic on Southern Boulevard. Video obtained by local TV stations showed deputies pointing what appeared to be either Tasers or stun guns at Scantlebury and ordering him onto the ground in the middle of the road. He surrendered and deputies took him into custody.
The nurse was transported via helicopter to another hospital where she was last listed in critical condition. Doctors said “essentially every bone in the victim’s face is broken and the victim is likely to lose the use of both eyes.”
According to cops, Scantlebury had been “acting paranoid” for the last few days and “blaming people in his life for events they had nothing to do with.” That led to authorities to take him into custody under the Baker Act.
In a statement, HCA Florida Healthcare said the attack “happened within a matter of seconds.”
“Our primary concern is with our beloved colleague and we are praying for her recovery. We are also providing support to our hospital staff who are understandably shaken by this incident,” the hospital said.
Willa Fuller, executive director of the Florida Nurses Association, also released a statement expressing concern about the safety of nurses as attacks happen across the country.
“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,” she said.
Scantlebury stands accused of attempted murder and is receiving treatment at a hospital. His next court date is scheduled for Tuesday.
