Hospital Workplace Violence Incidents Reported in MN, FL, WV and PA
The workplace violence incidents involve suspects biting and punching security officers and nurses.
Photo via Adobe, by Vitalii Vodolazksyi
It’s been a busy couple of weeks on the hospital workplace violence front, with incidents being reported in Minnesota, Florida, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
In Burnsville, Minnesota, a man was arrested Saturday night for assaulting two people and damaging property at the M Health Fairview Ridges Hospital, reports KARE. Authorities say that during the attack, the 20-year-old unidentified male suspect assaulted a nurse and security officer, as well as damaged a “number of items.”
No information has been released about the victims’ injuries.
According to a statement released by M Health Fairview, in response to the increased number of workplace violence incidents healthcare facilities have experienced recently, the hospital launched “Employee Safety and Violence Prevention Committees” at all of its campuses last year.
In Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania, James E. Manley III, 50, has been charged with punching a security officer working at Jefferson Bucks Hospital on January 15, reports Levittownnow.com. The alleged incident happened after Manley claimed someone stole his mobile phone. When the security guard tried to calm him down, Manley punched the officer on the left side of his temple.
No information has been released on the security officer’s injuries.
In Princeton, West Virginia, Melissa Compton, 52, allegedly attacked an emergency room worker, security officer and police officer on Saturday, reports WVnews. According to police, the suspect got angry when she was asked to leave the hospital. Compton was upset about the hospital’s visitation policy and wasn’t wearing a mask.
Authorities say Compton bit the security officer’s finger and police officer’s shoulder.
In Florida, a security officer working for a hospital in Fort Meyers was also bitten by a patient on January 10. Authorities say Dillon Metoyer, 19, became aggressive with two security officers at Lee Memorial Hospital, head butting one officer and biting off the finger tip of another, reports Local10. The suspect is facing two battery charges.
The escalation of workplace violence in hospitals isn’t just happening in the U.S. A security officer in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada spoke to a local newspaper about his experience at multiple metro Vancouver hospitals.
The officer claims that most of the calls to his security team are related to people who refuse to comply with British Columbia’s mask mandate or other COVID-19 rules. He also says many of the individuals who act out are not vaccinated.
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About the Author
Robin Hattersley, Editor-in-Chief
Robin has been covering the security and campus law enforcement industries since 1998 and is a specialist in school, university and hospital security, public safety and emergency management, as well as emerging technologies and systems integration. She joined CS in 2005 and has authored award-winning editorial on campus law enforcement and security funding, officer recruitment and retention, access control, IP video, network integration, event management, crime trends, the Clery Act, Title IX compliance, sexual assault, dating abuse, emergency communications, incident management software and more. Robin has been featured on national and local media outlets and was formerly associate editor for the trade publication Security Sales & Integration. She obtained her undergraduate degree in history from California State University, Long Beach.
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The pandemic and stress that has accompanied it has served to escalate the levels of violence and incivility facing healthcare staff globally. Workplace violence was already a significant issue for healthcare workers, but every organization I have worked with over the last year has seen a doubling or tripling in the number of assaults against their employees. This is not unique to the US, it has effected organizations around the world and contributes to the already pressing shortage of healthcare staff. If a healthcare organization has not already begun to move forward in implementing significant mitigation they will see a financial impact due to the increasing levels of violence.