By: Patti Weaver
(Stillwater, Okla.) — A Stillwater woman, who allegedly wanted stronger pain medication, has been charged with hitting a nurse in the Stillwater Medical Center Emergency Room with an IV tube that she pulled out of her arm.
If convicted of assault and battery on an emergency medical care provider, Deanna Marie Rupe, 23, could be given as much as a two-year prison term and a $1,000 fine.
Rupe was arrested on June 25 and released on $5,000 bond pending an Aug. 3 court appearance at which she can seek a preliminary hearing on the felony charge, court records show.
Stillwater Police Officer Richard Alley said that Rupe had left the SMC ER prior to his arrival on June 16 at 8:05 a.m., according to his affidavit.
The nurse said that Rupe “was brought to the hospital by ambulance after being involved in a vehicle accident,” and given muscle relaxers for muscle spasms, the affidavit said.
“Rupe was not happy because she wanted stronger pain medication,” the affidavit alleged.
The nurse said “while going over the discharge instructions, Rupe was cursing her and signed the discharge form with ‘F… you,"” the affidavit alleged.
The nurse said she was going to remove the IV from Rupe’s arm and “Rupe told her she was not going to touch her,” the affidavit alleged.
“Rupe ripped the IV out of her arm and threw the bloody IV at (the nurse) striking her in the torso,” the affidavit alleged.
The nurse was not sure if any blood hit her skin and changed her scrub shirt before the officer arrived, the affidavit alleged.
Another nurse at the nurse’s station heard Rupe yelling and the victim telling Rupe to leave the emergency room, the affidavit alleged.
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