A Leesburg woman was arrested after allegedly punching a hospital security officer in the face when told to calm down.
An officer responded to the emergency room at UF Health Leesburg Hospital, located at 600 E Dixie Ave., for a highly agitated and aggressive individual at 2:35 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department. Hospital security staff later identified this person as 35-year-old Sheila Prichard.
She had been acting in a disorderly and aggressive manner near the ambulance entrance, and a security officer recalled how she walked toward the ambulance bay in an agitated state. A staff member instructed him to prevent her from coming into the restricted area, the report said.
The security officer commanded Prichard to stop, to which she began yelling and threatening him. He tried to de-escalate the situation by telling her to calm down. Without warning, she then punched him in the face, the report said.
She was subsequently detained until law enforcement arrived. During the detention process, she was brought to the ground due to her continued resistance. She sustained a minor injury to her elbow at the time, the report said.
Prichard was arrested on charge of battery on specified personnel. The native of Puerto Rico was booked at the Lake County Jail where she was initially held without bond.