A 63-year-old Ocala man was arrested after a female nurse accused him of choking her with a cord at a local hospital.
On Thursday, April 28, an Ocala Police Department officer responded to HCA Florida West Marion Hospital (4600 SW 46th Court) in reference to an assault that involved a patient. Upon arrival, a witness told the officer that the patient, identified as Leroy A. Johnson, had assaulted a staff member and security officer.
The witness stated that one of the hospital’s nurses had gone into Johnson’s room to check on him, and the nurse soon began to scream. The witness saw Johnson outside of his room, and he was still attached to the oxygen cord. The cord was against the nurse’s neck, and she was “pinned,” according to the witness.
Johnson allegedly began to pull the cord, which made it tighter. A staff member at the hospital detached the oxygen cord and the nurse was overhead stating, “He’s choking me.”
The witness also added that Johnson grabbed his walker and struck one of the security officers in the neck.
The officer made contact with the nurse. She stated that Johnson was initially a nice patient, but he became agitated when she had entered the room to check his vitals.
While in the room, the nurse advised that Johnson began cursing at her and he stated that he was going to leave. He was still attached to the oxygen cord when he began walking out of the room. According to the nurse, the cord stretched out, and she got caught between the cord and the door.
She recalled telling Johnson that he was choking her, and he allegedly wrapped the cord around his hand and began pulling it tighter. She told the officer that she was unable to breathe during the incident.
While the officer did not observe any visible injuries on the nurse’s neck, a medical evaluation by a doctor revealed that she had a neck contusion on the right side.
The security officer was interviewed by OPD and did not want to press any charges against Johnson.
Johnson was arrested, transported to Marion County Jail, and he was later released on $10,000 bond. He is facing a felony charge for aggravated battery on an emergency medical care provider.
A court date has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.