Hospital security guard on life support after being attacked by patient
WCBS
By Naveen Dhaliwal
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NEW YORK (WCBS) — A hospital security guard on Long Island is fighting for his life after police say he was brutally attacked by a patient.
Gardy Coriolan, 62, was trying to subdue an unruly patient while working an overnight shift at Mercy Hospital in Rockville Centre last week, police say.
“I was told that he was hit in the chest and in the face multiple times,” wife Sonya Coriolan said. “And he has remained unconscious ever since.”
The victim’s wife and family are holding onto their faith. They say Gardy Coriolan has been in law enforcement for over 40 years, retiring from the city’s Department of Correction and working at the Uniondale School District.
They say he had expressed concerns about low staffing at Mercy Hospital.
“It’s unacceptable for three officers to be on on a midnight tour when we are dealing with psych patients, when we’re dealing with the amount of individuals that are coming through the emergency room,” Sonya Coriolan said.
In a statement, Mercy Hospital said:
“On October 15, an incident occurred in the Emergency Department at Mercy Hospital involving a patient. Our security team responded quickly and de-escalated the situation. A short time later, one of our security officers experienced a medical emergency. At the time of the incident, the security team was fully staffed and worked together to subdue the patient. We remain focused on ensuring the well-being and safety of everyone in our Emergency Department.”
The Coriolan family isn’t buying it, however.
“Disappointment, anger that he’s in that condition. He doesn’t deserve to be like that,” Sonya Coriolan said.
Police say Eduard Lopez, 28, is now charged with assault.
The Coriolan family says that’s not enough and they want stiffer penalties.
“That he is not only arrested for a simple assault, this is attempted murder. And I would like to see those charges upgraded,” Sonya Coriolan said.
For now, the focus is on Gardy Coriolan, who spent his entire life protecting others and who now needs the saving, as his family prays to get him home alive.
“I’m just hoping he just gets up or wakes up or, I’m just praying for a miracle,” daughter Melanie Adams said.
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