HealthAlliance Hospital security officer, nurse assaulted-1 arrested
LEOMINSTER MA Oct 20 2017 — A Fitchburg man was arrested and placed in protective custody early Thursday morning on charges he assaulted a nurse and a security guard at HealthAlliance Hospital, police said.
It was the second incident in less than two weeks in which a patient was charged with attacking hospital staff.
Gerald V. Poirier, 65, of 23 Kelley Ave., was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (shod foot), disturbing the peace, and resisting arrest for the incident, which took place at the hospital just before 2 a.m.
Police Sgt. John Fraher said Poirier, who had been a patient of the hospital, tried to strike a nurse and succeeded in kicking a security guard in the face when hospital staff tried to discharge him.
Poirier refused to leave the hospital, become aggressive with hospital staff and was uncooperative with officers who arrived at the scene, Fraher said.
Police arrested Poirier and placed him in protective custody, which Fraher explained is done when someone is deemed intoxicated to the point of incapacitation.
Poirier remained in custody Thursday pending his arraignment.
On Oct. 10 a female patient was charges with attacking a nurse, scratching her across the face. At the time, the nurse told police that she had been treating the patient when the patient lunged at her unprovoked and grabbed her face. The patient was issued a court summons by police for the Oct. 10 incident.
sentinelandenterprise.com
