A suspect was charged with assaulting four hospital employees at Wellspan Ephrata (Pa.) Community Hospital, ABC affiliate WHTM reported Aug. 11.
Damon Ruoss, 21, was charged with aggravated assault, criminal mischief and harassment.
The incident happened at 2:15 p.m. Aug. 9 at Wellspan Ephrata, police said, adding that Mr. Ruoss, an emergency room patient, punched one hospital employee in the face, scratched another hospital employee and spit on two others. Mr. Ruoss also damaged a room at the facility by punching the drywall, according to police.
In a statement shared with Becker's, York, Pa.-based WellSpan Health said it "is committed to providing a safe environment in our hospitals and facilities, with the safety of staff and patients our top priority. Members of our Behavioral Emergency Response Team and security team responded to this incident quickly to defuse the situation. We continue to have in place procedures, including the BERT initiative, to maintain a safe environment for all."
The Ephrata Police Department said Mr. Ruoss was arraigned and placed under house arrest monitoring.