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A nurse at a Palm Beach County hospital was attacked by a patient and suffered critical injuries Tuesday, authorities said.
It happened at HCA Florida Palms West Hospital at around 1:20 p.m., when a male patient identified as Stephen Scantlebury attacked the nurse in a third-floor patient room.
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WATCH HEREHCA Florida Healthcare told NBC affiliate WPTV that the attack occurred "within a matter of seconds" and was "witnessed by multiple people."
The nurse, who has not been identified, was flown to St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach.
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Scantlebury, 33, faces charges of attempted murder.
It was not immediately clear what led up to the attack, but WPTV received video from a viewer that showed the aftermath of the violence.
In the footage, Scantlebury can be seen walking shirtless on Southern Boulevard with what appeared to be ECG leads still attached to his chest.
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The video showed hospital staff and law enforcement following the man onto the busy highway just before deputies instructed him to get on the ground and took him into custody.
“That really shocked me," Logan Ashman, who recorded the video, said. "It was just a freakish thing to see, because that's not something you see every day. Like hour or two [after shooting the video] , I see the news. I'm like, wow, this is bigger than I thought it is. I thought was just somebody running in the street and the cops had to get them."
Witnesses outside the hospital told WPTV that it was a normal day until they saw sheriff's vehicles racing to the hospital.
The station also spoke with someone who works inside the hospital who said everyone else was OK, but still shaken up.
HCA Florida Healthcare released the following statement on the attack:
"Our primary concern is with our beloved colleague and we are praying for her recovery. We are also providing support to our hospital staff who are understandably shaken by this incident. The attack on our nursing colleague happened within a matter of seconds and was witnessed by multiple people who came to assist. We are grateful to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office who acted to detain the suspect and we are assisting law enforcement in their investigation."
