A Summerfield woman has pleaded not guilty to battering a registered nurse at Ocala Regional Medical Center.
Officers responded to a battery at the Ocala Regional Medical Center, 1431 SW First Ave., around 10:45 a.m. on May 20, according to an arrest record from the Ocala Police Department. Mary Beth Lawson, a 50-year-old patient, had choked a medical staff employee.
Lawson informed the cops that she had been there overnight and had not been given the correct drugs, which “agitated” her.
The RN stated that Lawson requested a nurse using the phone linked to her bed. The RN entered her room and discovered she was angry, using harsh words and raising her voice. She instructed Lawson to lower her voice and be respectful. According to the report, Lawson got out of bed and charged at her.
Lawson then grabbed the RN’s neck with both hands, squeezing forcefully but not so tight that she couldn’t breathe. The RN was able to push her away and click the button on her key card to draw the attention of other staff members. According to the allegation, once she was free, Lawson pushed her toward the window and scratched her lip with her nails.
According to the report, the RN developed obvious redness around the left and right sides of her neck, as well as a tiny scrape on her bottom lip.
Another staff member who arrived at the end of the altercation indicated that she saw Lawson grasp the RN but was unsure whether it was her neck or her chest, according to the report.
Lawson was arrested on the accusation of felony violence on a medical service member. She was booked into Marion County Jail and released after paying a $5,000 bond. She pleaded not guilty on Tuesday.
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