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Friday, March 29, 2024

Beverly Hills man jailed after outburst at The Centers

Clayton Matthew Roessler

A Citrus County man remains in the Marion County Jail after he reportedly attacked a fellow patient and hit three employees during an outburst at The Centers mental health hospital.

Clayton Matthew Roessler, 26, of Beverly Hills, was charged with three counts of battery on a department of health employee, and single counts of felony battery and resisting an officer without violence. He was at the hospital, located at 5664 SW 60th Ave., under a Baker Act and was seeking psychiatric help. The incident started with Roessler asking other patients to kill him, which caused a verbal altercation that turned physical, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office report.

Sheriff’s deputies who responded to the hospital on May 20 found Roessler being held on the ground by hospital staff members. Roessler was passively resisting and wouldn’t place his hands behind his back. Two deputies got him under control, handcuffed him and placed him in the back of a patrol vehicle, the report said.

A registered nurse said she saw Roessler actively choking and hitting another patient in the crisis unit. She said she and several other employees tried to separate Roessler from the victim, and while she was trying to get him under control, Roessler struck her on the left side of her head with a closed fist. The nurse said multiple other employees were struck by Roessler. She said they eventually brought him to the ground and waited until deputies arrived. The nurse’s face was slightly swollen and she had a small laceration on her left earlobe, according to the report.

The victim said he was in bed when Roessler hit him on the right side of his face and choked him. He said he couldn’t breathe when Roessler grabbed his neck with both hands but ne never lost consciousness. The victim didn’t have any visible injuries, the report said.

Two other female hospital employees said they were hit in the back of the head by Roessler, according to the report.

Roessler is being held on $14,000 bond and will appear in Marion County Court on June 23.