A 33-year-old man charged with brutally attacking a nurse at a Palm Beach County hospital will stay in jail without bond, a judge decided on Thursday. Stephen Scantlebury, of Wellington, is accused of assaulting 67-year-old nurse Leelamma Lal at HCA Florida Palms West Hospital last Tuesday. Officials confirmed Lal had several facial fractures, a broken collarbone, and bleeding in the brain.
Shocking Details of the Assault
On the flip side, on the pre-trial detention hearing, Palm Beach County Deputy Sgt. Beth Newcomb testified Scantlebury uttered racist comments following the attack. Scantlebury was quoted to have said, “Indians are bad” and “I just beat the (expletive) out of an Indian doctor.”
Lal’s daughter, Cindy Joseph, explained her mother’s state: “She had subdural and sporadic bleeding of the brain, the right side of her face was fully fractured. … She was intubated and unconscious, a lot of bruising in her face and swelling in her eyes. I didn’t really recognize her.”
Hospital surveillance video recorded the attack, which took one to two minutes.
Legal Proceedings and Mental Health Claims
Scantlebury was a hospitalized patient but did not have an active mental disorder. His wife reported that, before the attack, he had exhibited manifestations of paranoia thinking their house was wired and under surveillance.
Defense lawyers asked to have him remanded to a mental health center, but that was denied by the judge, who labeled the move “premature.” Scantlebury is accused of attempted second-degree murder with a hate crime enhancement.
Healthcare Workers Demand Better Protections
The assault has revived concerns regarding the safety of healthcare workers. A petition calling for greater security and stricter punishments for attacks on healthcare staff has collected more than 10,000 signatures in three days.
Organizer of the petition, Dr. Cheryl Thomas-Harcum, reiterated the sense of urgency surrounding the issue, “Leela devoted her life to this profession, and at the tail end of her career, she had to endure something so vicious.”
Indian Nurses Association of South Florida also demanded legislative intervention. Advisory board chair Dr. Manju Samuel said, “There are no specific laws to protect healthcare staff. That deficiency must be addressed.”
Lal is still in intensive care, improving but on ventilator support, according to reports. Meanwhile, Scantlebury is still in custody as legal action continues.
