Will a new law protecting health care workers make a difference?
Attacks on health care workers are common across the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)
A Christian Brothers University nursing student working at Saint Francis Hospital was attacked by a patient last week, and under a new state law, such incidents within health care facilities come with mandatory-minimum sentences and fines.
But Memphis police released rather than arrested the patient because of another state law that prevents officers from making arrests on misdemeanors unless they witnessed the crime.
That conflict between two existing laws has raised questions about the effectiveness of the penalties and the steps necessary to pursue resolutions.
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St. Francis Hospital state law nursing student Dr. Benjamin Mauck Subscriber OnlyThank you for supporting local journalism.
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Aarron Fleming
Aarron Fleming covers Memphis and Shelby County’s court system and is a member of The Daily Memphian’s public safety reporting team. He formerly covered education and earned his B.A. in journalism from the University of Memphis.
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