TEWKSBURY — Police were back at Tewksbury Hospital on Thursday for a disturbance involving what officers described as an “out of control” patient who shattered a window by throwing a trash barrel at it before barricading herself in a bathroom.
This marks the third publicly disclosed response by the Tewksbury Police at the facility in less than two weeks that has resulted in criminal charges, a stretch of incidents unfolding amid ongoing criticism of a state‑ordered policy that removed defensive tools — including pepper gel, handcuffs and batons — from the hospital’s security staff earlier this month.
Police Chief Ryan Columbus said in a press release about Thursday’s incident that officers responded to the hospital at about 11:10 a.m. after receiving word that a patient was breaking windows.
When they arrived, they found the woman barricaded in the bathroom of her room. Officers were able to convince her to come out. A subsequent investigation determined she had thrown the trash barrel at the door of her room, shattering the glass panel.
Police also learned she had a default warrant out of Boston, the details of which were not disclosed in the release.
The woman — who was not identified by police — was arrested without incident and charged with damaging property.
The case remains under investigation.
Thursday’s incident follows two others in recent days that have heightened scrutiny of safety conditions at the state‑run hospital.
On Sunday, 27‑year‑old Eduardo Cruceta, of Boston, was charged with assaulting a pregnant nurse after allegedly pushing a large reclining chair into her stomach while panicking during his brother’s medical emergency. Police said Cruceta threatened another nurse and punched a window before officers arrived.
The nurse declined medical treatment.
Before that, on April 7, a 59‑year‑old patient was accused of striking a staff member in the face. Columbus said in a statement about the incident that several staff members had to restrain the patient and administer medication before police arrived.
The patient was issued a summons to appear in Lowell District Court for a charge of assault and battery on a public employee.
All three cases occurred after the Executive Office of Health and Human Services notified hospital leadership on April 2 that certain defensive tools would be removed from security personnel’s belts — a reversal of safety measures the town and state had worked to strengthen after concerns about assaults and patient escapes.
During a Select Board meeting on Tuesday, Columbus called the state’s decision “negligent,” adding it “is not grounded in data” and fails to reflect the dangerous situations staff face daily.
“Taking away critical tools only increases risks to staff, patients and the broader community,” he said. “I am currently working with the Executive Office of Public Safety in hopes that this policy will be fully reviewed and ultimately reversed. This is not something I will let go, I will continue to advocate strongly for the safety of everyone involved.”
Fire Chief Joseph Kearns told the board his department has already changed its response protocol requiring firefighters and EMTs to wait for police before entering locked units unless a life-threatening emergency forces immediate action.
Hospital nurses also voiced frustration, stating at the meeting they were not consulted before the policy change and that assaults on staff occur “almost on a daily basis.”
Those concerns were highlighted on Monday, as the Massachusetts Nurses Association sent a letter to top state health officials citing the recent violent episodes and warning that the hospital lacks the staffing, resources and security protocols needed to safely care for what is often a majority forensic patient population.
“Delivering that care has become more difficult given the failure of the state and our local administration,” the letter states.
The union said it has been raising concerns for over two years, including in meetings with the former DMH commissioner, “with no meaningful response, and no effort to involve our union or other unions in a collaborative effort to resolve this crisis.”
As a result, the letter added, “both staff and patients are regularly subject to assaults or threats of same.”
“The state’s ongoing failure to engage with our union and the frontline staff to address these conditions and the resulting workplace violence has left the staff feeling demoralized and unsafe, causing many staff to consider leaving Tewksbury State Hospital, taking their years of experience with them and exacerbating the staffing crisis at the hospital,” the letter states.
The MNA also criticized the state’s “refusal to consider our proposal to establish specialized forensic units” (for people sent to the hospital by the court system) and called on officials to come to the hospital to hear directly from frontline staff.
“We make this request in good faith,” the letter concludes, urging action “before yet another patient or staff member suffers unnecessary harm.”
EOHHS officials have said safety remains their top priority and that discussions with town leaders and unions are ongoing.
Follow Aaron Curtis on X @aselahcurtis, or on Bluesky @aaronscurtis.bsky.social.
Original article
Comments