AKRON, Ohio — An Akron Children's Hospital nurse who is 9 months pregnant was attacked by a female juvenile patient, according to a police report and multiple witness statements obtained by News 5.
The hospital declined to answer specific questions about the incident, but provided a statement: “We can confirm that there was an unfortunate incident in our emergency room Wednesday evening but we cannot share any other details due to confidentiality of our patients, families, and staff.”
Akron Children's has its own police department, known as Akron Children's Department of Public Safety.
A report lists an "assault on a health care worker" as the offense and indicates a minor patient is involved.
Five witnesses provided statements about the assault that happened around 6 p.m.
Some of the witnesses said the violence happened after the patient was asked to change out of her clothes.
One witness reported seeing "the patient slamming (the) nurse into the wall and hitting her with a shoe."
Another witness heard someone screaming, "She's pregnant. Stop hitting her." The witness also said the patient "had (the nurse) against door to room hitting her over and over."
That same witness said a staff member said, "You hit a pregnant girl." The patient responded, "I don't give a (expletive) if she's pregnant."
Part of a statement from a third witness said the patient "grabbed her shoe and threw it at this RN. She then continued to punch and swing at this RN."
The report shows the pregnant nurse was taken to Cleveland Clinic Akron General for further evaluation. It's not clear how serious her injuries were, or if the baby was harmed.
The investigation is pending as hospital police consider possible charges.
Video footage shows the patient assaulting staff and being controlled on the ground by staff and officers," according to the report.
