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Elderly woman, 86, dies after being punched by patient at NY hospital for ‘not social distancing’ amid coronavirus – The Sun
AN 86-year-old woman died at the hospital Sunday after being socked in face for not practicing social distancing during the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
Janie Marshall was awaiting treatment for bowel blockage in the emergency room at Woodhull Medical Center in New York when she was allegedly smacked in the face by another patient.
The 32-year-old patient was awaiting psychiatric treatment unprovoked and leapt out of her nearby bed to attack Marshall, police told the New York Post.
Marshall was knocked off her feet and cracked her head on the floor just after 2pm Saturday, according to cops.
Her assailant allegedly told a Health and Hospitals Corp. police officer she lashed out because the elderly woman "didn't stay more than six feet away."
The alleged attacker was given a summons for disorderly conduct and left the hospital without being admitted.
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Marshall was sent for a CT scan and was waiting for her exam when she was found slumped over at the care center at around 5:40pm, but she was pronounced dead from her head injury shortly after, authorities said.
The brutal attack was caught on video, but the NYPD wasn't notified about the assault until hours after at around 10:30pm, cops said.
Law enforcement officials blamed the delay on the high patient volume at the Brooklyn hospital due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 2,800 nationwide and nearly 700 in New York City.
The Brooklyn native's death could possibly be the first crime in the city sparked by fears over the deadly pandemic.
Many of her neighbors at her apartment building described her to the Post as a "nice lady" who lived alone and was "very helpful."
Cops were seeking to arrest Marshall's alleged assaulter on upgraded charges.
The woman has 17 previous arrests, several of which are for trespassing, according to police.
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