Taunton man arrested after disturbance at Morton Hospital
TAUNTON MA June 22 2018 — A city man who earlier in the day had apparently overdosed on heroin was arrested Tuesday night after police say he caused a disturbance at Morton Hospital.
Keith Michael Courteau, 35, 520 Somerset Ave., was charged with disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace.
Police responded to the hospital at 8:50 p.m. to investigate a report of a man who refused to leave and was threatening medical staff members and possibly fighting with security staff.
Police said when they arrived Courteau was being held down on the ground by security personnel outside the emergency department entrance.
He was “screaming and thrashing his body to try to free himself,” according to police — who said Courteau’s actions were drawing the attention of a number of people, some of whom were “clearly disturbed,” by his behavior.
Emergency room workers told police Courteau had been admitted earlier that day and was now medically cleared to leave, but that he became argumentative and refused to leave the premises.
Police said they encountered Courteau just after noon that same day at his residence — after he had overdosed on what they suspect was heroin and was then revived with the overdose antidote Narcan, after losing consciousness.
At the hospital, Courteau at one point allegedly ripped an IV catheter out of his arm, threatened to infect staff members with hepatitis if they came too close and then assumed a fighting stance when security stepped in.
The medical and security staff told police they were not interested in pressing charges against Courteau as result of his threatening behavior.
Daily Gazette
