A Leesburg man was arrested Friday morning on a warrant charing him with committing a battery at Advent Health Waterman Hospital.
Douglas James Cutter, 35, was picked up in Leesburg by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. He was then charged for the incident which occurred around mid-October.
On the evening of Oct. 18, officers with the Tavares Police Department responded to the hospital, located at 1000 Waterman Way, regarding a combative patient who battered a nurse in the emergency room. The nursing staff advised that Cutter kicked a nurse in the face before being restrained by ER staff, according to an affidavit of probable cause out of Lake County.
An officer then spoke directly to the male nurse, or the victim, who was acting as charge nurse for the ER that day. He stated that Cutter came to the ER for treatment of diarrhea and stomach pain related to chronic pain issues. The ER staff were familiar with Cutter because he often came in and acted unruly, the affidavit said.
That day, the victim entered Cutter’s room with the intent of ensuring he would remain calm and cooperative with the staff. When he explained his expectations of good behavior, Cutter became very upset and belligerent, the affidavit said.
A female nurse, who was in the room at the time, stated that Cutter became very upset and drew back his arm to intentionally strike the victim. Another nurse that was positioned behind Cutter grabbed his arm to prevent him from striking the victim, but Cutter then kicked the victim in the face. He was restrained afterward, the affidavit said.
The victim suffered a minor laceration to the inside of his right cheek which resulted in minor bleeding and pain. Upon investigation, a spot of watery blood was found on the room’s sink. The nurse said that he rinsed his mouth out with water after being kicked, the affidavit said.
Cutter, however, would state that he not kick anyone, and he “freaked out” because the victim threatened to put a “6-inch needle” in his neck. He continued by stating he only struggled because of his anxiety but reiterated that he did not kick anyone. This was contradicted by the victim’s injuries and statements from witnesses, the affidavit said.
Initially, Cutter stated that the victim placed his hand on his throat during the restraint. This story would later change to say that the victim placed his forearm around his neck which made it difficult to breathe. This claim could not be corroborated by any of the witnesses who were in the room, the affidavit said.
Due to the ongoing nature of Cutter’s need for medical treatment, it was decided he would be trespassed from the property after being medically released with a warrant to be issued for his arrest, the affidavit said.
The warrant was ultimately issued on Nov. 7, and the Pennsylvania native was arrested last week. He was charged with battery upon an emergency medical care provider and transported to the Lake County Jail. Bond was set at $5,000.
