‘Hostile’ patient charged after hospital security guard stabbing incident at Blacktown hospital
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Published December 18, 2023
Daily Telegraph, 18 December 2023
A patient at Blacktown Hospital’s emergency department on Sunday morning allegedly stabbed a security guard after throwing alcohol on him and threatening to set the guard alight.
A hospital patient has been charged with a range of offences after allegedly stabbing a security guard at Blacktown Hospital on Sunday morning.
Ermington man Christopher Amos has been charged with five offences including assaulting a frontline health worker and having a knife in a public place.
Police were called to the hospital at about 5.30am on Sunday after reports of a “disturbance” involving a patient and staff.
Officers from Blacktown Police Area Command attended and arrested the patient, a 41-year-old man.
In a statement, NSW Police said the man “reportedly presented at the hospital about 9.15pm for treatment before he allegedly threatened staff with a knife about 5.20am.”
“A 32-year-old security officer had suffered an injury to his elbow after confronting the man prior to police arrival.”
A Health Services Union official told The Daily Telegraph that the patient began to get “hostile” after presenting to the emergency department with abdominal pain.
At one point, the patient allegedly threw rubbing alcohol over the ground and a nurses station and was threatening to set it alight, the Telegraph was told.
Staff were then able to calm the patient down and assign him to a bed. He was not restrained because he was no longer hostile, the Telegraph was told.
Then, the patient allegedly got out of bed and stabbed a security guard with a kitchen knife that the patient had brought into the hospital.
The security guard suffered minor injuries and did not require stitches.
The patient then allegedly forced his way into a staff area, ran into a lift and an intensive care unit while being pursued by security guards.
He then went into an ambulance bay and threatened paramedics before being restrained, the Telegraph was told.
“Detectives commenced an investigation into the incident while the man remained at hospital under police guard,” NSW Police said.
“The man was escorted to Blacktown Police Station about 1pm where he was charged with intimidate frontline health worker – no actual bodily harm, assault frontline health worker – actual bodily harm, assault frontline health worker – no actual bodily harm, custody of knife in public place, and use etc offensive weapon with intent to commit indictable offence.
HSU state secretary Gerard Hayes warned his members would face escalating violence until all recommendations from a recent review of hospital security are implemented.
“This stuff is going to escalate,” Mr Hayes said.
NSW Health was contacted.