Death of South Carolina hospital worker killed by knee to groin ruled a homicide
SUMTER, S.C. August 8 2022 The death of a Prisma Health Tuomey employee in Sumter, S.C., who died after being hit in the groin in May is now being classified as a homicide.
According to the Sumter County coroner, 40-year-old Kevin Robinson died after he sustained injuries from an altercation with Imani Cox, a patient at the Sumter hospital.
An autopsy was performed June, 3 at The Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.
Authorities say after a review of medical records and investigation, the cause of death is physiological stress associated with a physical altercation in the setting of cardiomegaly and obesity.
There’s a lot of people walking around with the same medical conditions he had, that might live for another 15-20 or 25 years, had it not been for the kick to the groin,” Sumter County coroner Robbie Baker said.
Officers said Cox, who was admitted to the Sumter hospital for a court-ordered evaluation, was trying to leave the facility on May 27th when hospital security and staff tried to detain her.
An incident report said the 27-year-old was at the facility for a mental health evaluation and was not allowed to leave the hospital, but on that day, she told staff she was leaving and headed toward the exit door.
The situation escalated once staff tried to stop her leading to Cox becoming aggressive.
Imani Cox is accused of striking mental health technician, Kevin Robinson, in the groin with her knee and he died. His death has been ruled a homicide. (Sumter Police Dept.)
The report stated Cox began to swing her arms and pull away from security when (an employee) attempted to grab her arms.
The mental health unit eventually had to step in, and that’s when the report went on to say, Cox started to kick and then struck mental health technician Robinson in the groin with her knee. He died after three days in the ICU.
“I can tell you 32 years in law enforcement, I’ve taken a kick or two in that area, and it’ll take your breath,” Baker also said.
Todd Engles, a long-time psychiatrist with WellPath, says he deals with patients similar to Cox on a daily basis.
There’s always some risk in interacting with those patients,” said Engles. “Certainly training, increased level of training, I think can help.”
Engles believes that everyone from ER doctors to hospital security should receive the same standard of mental health training every year to potentially de-escalate similar crises.
“I was struck one time by a patient in 25 years, so it’s not the most common thing in the world especially if you’re respectful and interact with patients appropriately,” Engles also said.
Robinson worked at Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital for over a decade, and was a good friend, and beloved employee, according to Prisma Health representatives.
My condolences go to his family, also to the hospital employees over there who had to witness this,” Baker also said. “We need to do a better job of looking out for the safety and welfare of people that work in these facilities.”
Cox is being held at the Sumter County Detention Center.
This is a joint investigation being worked by the Sumter County Coroner’s office and the City of Sumter Police Department.
WACH
