Hospital Security Officers Charged in Patient’s Death
The elderly patient died two days after an altercation with the officers.
The altercation occurred roughly 30 feet in front of MedStar Washington's parking garage on a stretch of grass.
Two officers who worked at a D.C. hospital were charged with involuntarily manslaughter after the death of a patient last September.
Clifton Montgomery, 30, and Charles Brown, 43, were charged for their actions in a confrontation with an elderly patient outside of MedStar Washington Hospital Center, reports Patch.
The two men, designated as special police officers in their job at the center, confronted 74-year-old James McBride after he left the hospital without being discharged. McBride reportedly resisted initial attempts by the officers and a nurse to return to the hospital.
At some point during the confrontation, the officers took McBride to the ground and one officer used “hand controls to restrain him” according to the police report.
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The patient sustained neck injuries and died in the hospital’s intensive care unit two days later.
D.C. police, who have been investigating the incident, brought the charges May 17. Involuntary manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 30 years.
As special police officers employed by the hospital, the two men had arrest powers and were authorized to carry guns.
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