Indian nurse’s facial bones broken in America: Attacker said, ‘Indians are bad’, hit her so hard that she might lose her eyesight

An Indian-origin nurse has been brutally attacked in a Florida hospital, leaving her at risk of losing her eyesight. The nurse was repeatedly punched in the face by a patient at a Florida hospital. She is at risk of losing her eyesight. Local media has described it as a racial attack. Nurse Leela Lal, also known as Leela Lal, was attacked by 33-year-old Stephen Eric Scantlebury. According to police, the incident took place on February 18 in the mental ward of Palms West Hospital in West Palm Beach, Florida. Every bone in Leela Lal’s face was broken in the attack.

A police officer testified in a local court that a video clip showed Scantlebury saying, ‘Indians are bad’ and ‘I beat up an Indian doctor.’ Scantlebury has been charged with attempted second-degree murder and also booked under racial crime, which could lead to a harsher punishment if found guilty.

The attacker made racial remarks

• The attack took place on Tuesday at HCA Florida Palms West Hospital, where Scantleberry brutally beat up Lillemma Lal. According to the police report, Scantleberry made racial remarks after the attack. He said “Indians are bad”. “I beat up an Indian doctor.”
• Lilemma Lal suffered serious injuries in the attack, including multiple facial fractures, a broken shoulder bone and bleeding on the brain.

What did people say?

After the incident, HCA Florida Healthcare, which operates Palms West Hospital, said the attack happened “in a matter of seconds” and was witnessed by “multiple people,” WPTV.com reported. Leela Lal was taken by helicopter to St. Mary Medical Center, West Palm Beach. WPTV showed a video obtained by a viewer that showed the suspect walking down a major road without a shirt, with ECG leads strapped to his chest. Hospital staff and law enforcement officers were trying to apprehend him on the busy highway.

Both eyes may be lost

A probable cause affidavit filed by law enforcement described Leela Lal’s injuries as “serious” and said, “Nearly every bone in the victim’s face is broken and she is likely to lose vision in both eyes.” Due to the victim’s severe injuries, she was unable to give a statement to investigators, WPTV said.

Another WPTV report about the court proceedings on February 27 said that hospital witnesses and responding deputies testified that video from inside the hospital shows the victim was attacked over a period of about one to two minutes.

Long-standing concern for nurses’ safety

Local media quoted Florida Nurses Association Executive Director Willa Fuller as saying that her organization has long been concerned about the safety of nurses and has been demanding “concrete action” to prevent such incidents in the future. “We want nurses who provide direct care to be included in any initiatives related to violence against healthcare workers,” she said.

HCA Florida Healthcare said last week, “Our primary concern is with our dear colleague and we are praying for her speedy recovery. We are also providing support to our hospital staff who are naturally shaken by this incident.” Meanwhile, “Scantlebury is jailed” for beating Lila Lal on February 18, “Judge Howard Coates ruled he was a danger to the community,” local news channel WPBF 25 News said Tuesday evening.

“After attacking Lila Lal, Scantlebury fled Palms West Hospital, pleading with passing drivers to take him in, claiming nurses were trying to kill him,” the news portal said. His wife, Megan Scantlebury, testified at his custody hearing on Thursday that his dementia began two days before the attack.

Although she also said her husband had never previously displayed mental health problems or aggression, court records obtained by a WPBF 25 News investigative reporter showed that in 2018, Scantlebury was convicted of assault in Charlottetown, Canada, for punching his child’s grandfather in the face and then slamming a car trunk on his head.