On Friday around 1:30 p.m., Metro Nashville Police officers were called to TriStar Southern Hills hospital in south Nashville following reports that a nurse had been assaulted. When they arrived, they met with a male nurse who recounted the disturbing incident. The nurse was performing a routine blood draw on 63-year-old psychiatric patient William Harrison when Harrison became increasingly agitated .
As the blood draw was underway, Harrison allegedly began making threats, shouting, “I will kill you,” and making comments about the nurse’s skin color. The situation escalated quickly: Harrison threw a punch that grazed the nurse’s nose and followed up with a second swing, landing a blow on the nurse’s right jaw . The nurse attempted to calm him, but Harrison’s aggression persisted.
When police questioned Harrison at the scene, he reportedly had no memory of the altercation—even to the point of not recalling his own name . Given the nurse’s account and visible injuries, Harrison was promptly taken into custody and charged with misdemeanor assault on a nurse.
This incident has sparked concern about safety in healthcare settings especially when psychiatric patients are involved. It also highlights the challenges nurses face when performing standard medical procedures under stressful circumstances. The case is currently being handled by Nashville authorities, and further updates are expected as the legal process continues.