Several hospital security officers sustained injuries in recent weeks after being attacked by both patients and non-patients, reiterating the need for hospitals to frequently revamp their recruitment and retention practices as healthcare employees continue to leave the industry at an alarming rate.
In Milwaukee, 18-year-old Edgar Joel Padilla was charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide after he reportedly stabbed a security officer at Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital on Jan. 29. According to a criminal complaint, the security officer was stabbed in his head and upper back after he was sent to deal with a “trouble subject” complaint. The officer located Padilla and said he could not loiter on the grounds and asked him to leave. Padilla left but returned about an hour later and threatened to “stab and kill” the security officer, who then told him to go to the waiting room if he wanted medical attention. The officer used the restroom and Padilla stabbed him from behind. The officer was able to wrestle Padilla out of the restroom where he was stabbed again.
When Milwaukee police responded, they saw the teen pointing a knife at several security officers. Padilla then reportedly dropped the knife when one of the officers announced himself as police with his firearm drawn. When interviewed by police, Padilla said that he was homeless and was trying to sleep in the hospital parking structure when the injured officer woke him up and “upset” him. He is being held on a $50,000 bond.
A Pennsylvania man is also facing charges after he allegedly struck a security officer in the head, causing a concussion. Police responded to Chambersburg Hospital Behavioral Health Unit on Jan. 30 for a reported assault. The officer was assaulted when he and several other security officers were at the hospital for a mental health hearing for another patient, Tri-State Alert reports. The alleged assailant, Justin Mitchell Miller, exited his room and confronted the security officer for unknown reasons. As the officer tried to diffuse the situation, Miller allegedly punched the officer in the back of the head, sending the officer to the ground. Miller has been charged with felony aggravated assault against designated individuals. He is free on an unsecured bail of $35,000.
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