TEWKSBURY — A Tewksbury Hospital patient was arrested Monday afternoon after police said he attacked another patient.
Tewksbury Police said in a statement Monday evening that their officers were called to the hospital’s Nichols Building at around 2:05 p.m. for a reported assault. The Nichols Building is the home of a Beth Israel Lahey Health second step detoxification program.
After a preliminary investigation the officers found that a 45-year-old patient of Tewksbury Hospital had assaulted another patient with a sharp object in an altercation where one of the two patients accused the other of stealing.
The two patients were separated by staff before police arrived, and the 45-year-old patient was arrested and is set to be arraigned in Lowell District Court Tuesday on a charge of assault with a dangerous weapon. The patient who committed the alleged assault was not identified by police.
“This incident once again underscores the daily safety risks present on the campus of Tewksbury State Hospital,” said Tewksbury Police Chief Ryan Columbus on Monday. “The individual involved reportedly has 129 entries on their criminal record. We are fortunate the situation did not result in serious injury or loss of life.”
The alleged altercation between the two patients is at least the fifth incident at Tewksbury Hospital resulting in a police response since April 2. That was the day Tewksbury Hospital CEO Amy Dumont sent a letter to hospital staff saying the Executive Office of Health and Human Services made the decision that the hospital’s security team would no longer have access to non-lethal defensive weapons and tools like pepper gel, handcuffs and batons.
“Tewksbury Security Team Specialists are security professionals, not law enforcement or clinical staff,” said a part of Dumont’s April 2 letter. “The state’s policy aims to reduce inconsistencies in practice and risk. This action brings Tewksbury Hospital in line with other [Department of Public Health] and [Department of Mental Health] hospitals.”
On Friday a patient was arrested and charged for allegedly striking a mental health worker twice in the face at the hospital. The day before, a patient with an active arrest warrant threw a trash barrel at a door, shattering a window, before barricading herself in a bathroom.
On Sunday, April 12, 27-year-old Eduardo Cruceta of Boston was visiting his brother at Tewksbury Hospital when he allegedly pushed a reclining chair into a pregnant nurse while his brother fell into a medical episode. That nurse declined medical treatment on the scene, according to court records of the incident.
On April 7 a 59-year-old patient was also accused of striking a staff member twice in the face and needed to be restrained by other staff members before police arrived.
Amid all these incidents there has been outcry from officials representing Tewksbury. On April 14 the Select Board met for the first time since the April 2 letter, with all five members seemingly in agreement in their frustration with the state’s decision as they heard from hospital staff who shared their frustration.
In a statement, Select Board member James Mackey criticized the fact that the situation with Tewksbury Hospital was not on the agenda for the Select Board meeting Tuesday evening.
“The hospital security issue was not placed on this Tuesday’s Select Board agenda, and I think that omission speaks for itself,” said Mackey. “At a time when staff safety and public safety remain active concerns, I believe this issue warranted additional public discussion rather than the continued lip service this board has unfortunately become known for.”
Mackey noted that a scheduled meeting between the the Department of Public Health, which operates under EOHHS, and the town’s police and fire chiefs last Thursday was cancelled. Columbus and Fire Chief Joseph Kearns both criticized the EOHHS decision to take tools from the hospital security team during the April 14 Select Board meeting.
Mackey’s statement continued, with a claim that the security situation at the hospital is now under the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.
“The matter is now being handled by Secretary of Public Safety Gina Kwon at the direction of the Governor, which is a positive development, and we expect to hear more from the State this week,” said Mackey. “Unfortunately, the assaults have continued, and Tewksbury Police continue to respond. That makes the lack of public discussion even harder to justify. My focus remains on public safety, accountability, and making sure the concerns raised by staff, residents, and first responders are addressed, whether or not others are willing to address them publicly.”
Spokespeople for Gov. Maura Healey and EOPSS did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday.
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