Choked Schizophrenic, Dies in Med Ctr., Mother Files Wrongful Death

The Fay Observer has reported that the mother of a young man plagued with schizophrenia, has filed a wrongful death suit due to security guards that overly restrained him and a medical center that largely ignored him prior to his death.

A.W., 27, was taken to the Cape Fear Valley Medical Center on April 17 by ambulance when he was having difficulties after not taking his prescribed medication.  Security guards in the Medical Center restrained him with a chokehold, per the suit, which later led to his death.

The Medical Examiner's Office contacted the Fayetteville police on September 6 - as the hospital had not notified the police prior to then.

Along with the lawsuit, the police department is investigating the death as a negligent homicide. 

In the suit, A.W.'s mother, V.W., has named the health system and AlliedBarton Security Services.  Individuals named include five security guards and four emergency room staff members.

The suit contends that A.W. languished in the emergency room, dying, while staff failed to resuscitate him in a timely manner.

Both officials from Cape Fear Valley and a representative from AlliedBarton didn't respond to phone call queries for comment.

Gavin MacRoberts, the spokesman for the police, said that the hospital's surveillance video shot of the incident would not be released as it will be needed as evidence during the investigation.

The suit, filed on September 29 in the Cumberland County Superior Court, gives this timeline of events:

(A.W.), who suffered from schizophrenia, had been taken to the emergency room by an ambulance a little after 5 p.m. on April 17.

(A.W.) had been acting strange that day, possibly because he had stopped taking his medications. (V.W.) called 911, and an ambulance arrived to pick him up. 

One of the doctors on staff ordered medication for (A.W.) and decided to commit him to the first mental hospital with space.  But as time went on and no hospital with a room was found, (A.W.) became increasingly agitated and aggressive with the staff.  (A.W.) tried to leave and was restrained by security guards.

The medical staff left the area after realizing that the security guards might need to use force.

One of the guards put (A.W.) in a chokehold and pulled him to the floor.  Three other guards grabbed parts of (A.W.'s) body and got on top of him.  A surveillance video from the hospital showed that (A.W.) became non-responsive after a few minutes of struggle.

After that, two security guards appeared to check (A.W.'s) vital signs. Medical records indicated the security guards told the attending nurse that he was no longer resisting.  For about 90 seconds after the struggle began, security guards hovered over (A.W.), and hospital staff and security guards continued to enter and exit the room.

At 9:17:51 p.m., the security guards placed (A.W.)  on a stretcher. Nurses and guards undressed him and secured leather restraints to his arms and legs.

At 9:21 p.m., medical staff checked (A.W.'s) vital signs. A nurse brought a resuscitation bag to the room at 9:23:15 p.m., and handed it to a security guard.

The security guard attempted to resuscitate (A.W.) using the bag, but was unsuccessful.

(A.W.) was then taken to another room, where a futile attempt was made to resuscitate him at 9:23:31 p.m.

A nurse noted in medical records that the resuscitation bag was being used or placed on (A.W.) as he was taken into the room, but that he was without a pulse when he arrived there.  But the surveillance video showed he "was not bagged" on his way to the resuscitation room.