Rio Rancho man faces felony charges after hospital attack on nurse, officer
A Rio Rancho man faces five felony and misdemeanor charges after allegedly attacking hospital staff and a police officer at Sandoval Regional Medical Center.
A patient at Sandoval Regional Medical Center in Rio Rancho attacked a nurse and a responding police officer — and attempted to grab the officer’s firearm — in an early-morning emergency room incident last week, according to court documents filed in Sandoval County Magistrate Court.
Rio Rancho police responded around 1 a.m. on March 24 to reports of a patient choking medical staff. When officers arrived, the patient — who had been sedated and restrained — was allowed to use the restroom and immediately became aggressive again, according to a criminal complaint filed by Officer Dalton Tillotson of the Rio Rancho Police Department.
The patient punched an officer in the face, cutting his lip, and attempted to stab a nurse with a pen he grabbed during the struggle. He also attempted to disarm the officer of his taser and firearm before nursing staff helped restrain him.
Hospital security video corroborated witness statements, Tillotson wrote in the complaint. The suspect faces five counts: aggravated battery upon a health care worker causing great bodily harm, attempted aggravated battery upon a health care worker, battery upon a peace officer, attempted disarming of a peace officer, and resisting or obstructing an officer.
The charges range from a misdemeanor to a third-degree felony. A preliminary examination is scheduled for April 21 before Judge Ann Maxwell-Chavez at Sandoval County Magistrate Court in Bernalillo.
