Police: Patient injures 2 nurses, guard in Oklahoma City hospital attack; suspect arrested

OKLAHOMA CITY — A knife-wielding patient attacked emergency room staff at a hospital in northwest Oklahoma City, severely injuring a security guard, biting one nurse and slicing another, police said Tuesday.

Sgt. Jennifer Wardlow said the 50-year-old guard, Anthony Cantrell, was severely cut on the side of his neck.

Cantrell has been hospitalized in stable condition, according to hospital spokeswoman Emily Kezbers.

Police arrested Keith Bain, 58, of Valliant after the attack late Monday. Bain was being held at the Oklahoma County jail pending formal charges for assault and battery with a deadly weapon and malicious injury and destruction of property.

Wardlow said police were called to Deaconess Hospital shortly before midnight Monday. She said the man had gone to the emergency room seeking medical treatment.

"Once he got back to an examination room he became belligerent with the staff and threatened to assault them. He produced a knife and cut a security guard," Wardlow said.

"Nurses who tried to come to the security guards' aid ... were assaulted by Mr. Bain as well," she said.

A third nurse escaped injury in the attack. The knife cut his shirt, but missed him, Wardlow said.

Bain then barricaded himself inside the room and pulled a sink out of the wall, flooding the room and causing more than $2,500 of damage, before officers were able to arrest him, Wardlow said.

She did not have details of the arrest.

All three of the injured are expected to recover, Kezbers said.

"We commend our employees for their brave action and appreciate the timely response of our community's first responders," according to a statement from the hospital issued by Kezbers, who referred other questions to police.

Valliant, in McCurtain County, is about 200 miles southeast of Oklahoma City.