BEDFORD — A Mitchell woman was arrested early Monday, June 29th, after allegedly forcing her way into the emergency department at IU Health Bedford Hospital and putting her hands on a hospital public safety official.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Officer James T. Harrington of the Indiana University Health Department of Public Safety (IUH DPS), Lorene Deanne Honeycutt, 45, was taken into custody on charges of battery on a public safety official and disorderly conduct.
The incident began around 3:04 a.m. at the hospital, located at 2900 West 16th Street. Officer Harrington noted that Honeycutt’s nephew was a patient in the Emergency Department (ED) under an emergency detention hold. He was awaiting transport by the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office to Bloomington Meadows Hospital and, per hospital protocol, was strictly barred from having visitors.
Honeycutt approached the ED registration window to speak with a registration associate. An ED Unit Support Technician who was monitoring the surveillance cameras spotted Honeycutt and informed the desk staff that he would step out to inform her that she was not permitted inside the restricted area.
According to the affidavit, the employee stepped into the main hallway between the hospital entrance and the ED doors at 3:05 a.m., where he was immediately confronted by Honeycutt. As Honeycutt aggressively walked toward him, the employee began backing away. Honeycutt then allegedly shoved Russell with both of her hands and grabbed his right wrist.
Officer Harrington was inside the ED alongside Bedford Police Department Officer Taylor Daugherty when the ED Charge Nurse ran back to report that a woman was attempting to force her way inside.
Officer Harrington rushed toward the entrance doors and observed Honeycutt actively shoving Russell near the nurse’s station. When Honeycutt attempted to bypass the employee to get further into the unit, Officer Harrington intervened, securing her right wrist and placing her against the exterior wall of the nurse’s station to be handcuffed.
Though the male employee later informed the officer that he did not experience pain when Honeycutt shoved him and grabbed his wrist, the physical altercation was witnessed by multiple hospital staff members. The House Supervisor reported that he watched the entire incident unfold live on his office surveillance cameras, while two other ED staff members stated they witnessed it firsthand in the hallway.
At Officer Harrington’s request, Bedford Police Officer Daugherty conducted a pat-down search of Honeycutt’s outer clothing, but no weapons or contraband were discovered.
Honeycutt was transported to the Lawrence County Security Center and remanded to the custody of jail corrections officers.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the probable cause affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
