Minnesota Nursing Home Employee Stabbed at Work by Ex-Boyfriend
Police are trying to track down a 38-year-old male suspect in the stabbing of his 37-year-old ex-girlfriend multiple times while she was working at a Minnesota nursing home. The man has been charged with first-degree domestic assault and armed criminal action. A nursing home video camera captured the attack and was referenced on the documents charging the man.
The woman’s injuries were serious but not life-threatening.
The couple had broken-up five days earlier, and the day before the stabbing the suspect sent a text to the wounded woman threatening to kill her.
Police described the attack as violent and pre-meditated. Court records also indicate that the man has two prior convictions of misdemeanor domestic assault and was on probation for another felony domestic assault case—all three involving a different woman than the nursing home employee. One police officer expressed the desire by the police department to get the suspect off the streets before something else happens.
Compliance Perspective
Failing to prevent an armed assailant from gaining access to a nursing home and committing assault on an employee may raise concerns about the effectiveness of the facility’s Emergency Preparedness Plan and its readiness to respond to a workplace violence situation, which could be considered a violation of state and federal regulations.
Discussion Points:
- Review policies and procedures regarding the facility’s Emergency Preparedness Program in light of an armed assailant’s ability to enter the facility, harm an employee, and pose a potential threat to residents and other employees.
- Train staff regarding their responsibility to alert their supervisors about domestic incidents, e.g., a break-up with a significant other with a history of violence to allow the facility to activate controlled access protocols restricting entrance into the building. Encourage other staff members to report any such suspected domestic concerns of which they may become aware to their supervisor.
- Periodically audit by having unscheduled drills to check the ability of staff to respond to such emergency situations as an armed intruder.
