Nov 2, 2009 11:02 am US/Eastern
Hospital Denies Excessive Force In Patient Death
HYANNIS (WBZ) ―
-
-
Cape Cod Hospital (file image)
Jodi Hilton/Getty Images
Cape Cod Hospital is denying that excessive force was used in restraining a Mashpee man who later died at the hospital.
Daniel Ryan, 35, died late last week, three weeks after an encounter with hospital security.
Ryan initially went to the hospital to visit his wife on October 9. During that visit,
the Cape Cod Times reported that Ryan began acting irrationally. The paper said he was taken to the emergency room to await a psychiatric evaluation.
At some point, Ryan ran from the emergency room and, according to some broadcast reports, was put in a chokehold by hospital security and rendered unconscious.
Ryan was admitted to the hospital and later put on life support. He died on Thursday.
"The hospital's employees were trying to prevent the patient from harming others within our facility while waiting for the police to return to the hospital," said David Reilly, a spokesman for Cape Cod Healthcare, which owns the hospital. Police had been at the hospital earlier dealing with Mr. Ryan.
"There is no indication that a 'chokehold' was ever applied to Mr. Ryan or that excessive/undue force was used at any point during his restraint," Reilly said in a written statement.
The District Attorney's office is investigating the death. A Cape Cod Hospital spokesperson said they are cooperating with that investigation.
There has been heightened awareness regarding hospital security in recent days. Last week a patient who was
stabbing his doctor insider her Mass. General Hospital office, was shot and killed by an off-duty security guard.
A preliminary investigation of that incident indicated the shooter,
Paul Langone, acted within the law and likely saved the doctor's life.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Comments