A Florida man “inexplicably” attacked a nurse at a hospital where he was receiving treatment, leaving her with critical injuries that may include loss of sight in both eyes.

Stephen Scantlebury, 33, was hospitalized at HCA Florida Palms West Hospital under the state’s Baker Act, which allows law enforcement to involuntarily hospitalize subjects temporarily but doesn’t require any kind of safety measures for hospital staff, WPTV reported. Shortly after 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Scantlebury abruptly jumped on his bed and then onto the nurse, beating her senseless with his fists.

According to an affidavit filed in the case, a witness in the room at the time fled and called for help. A second witness reported seeing Scantlebury standing over the nurse, pounding her in the face with his fists. That witness yelled at him to stop, and Scantlebury ran out of the room.

The nurse was critically injured and life-flighted to St. Mary’s Hospital, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said.

“Essentially every bone in the victim’s face is broken and the victim is likely to lose the use of both eyes,” the affidavit says.

Meanwhile, the violent patient ran out of the hospital and into traffic on Southern Boulevard, where Palm Beach County deputies took him into custody. He was taken for a medical evaluation and charged with second degree attempted murder with a hate crime enhancement.  The sheriff’s office did not explain the hate crime enhancement.

According to the affidavit, another witness said that Scantlebury had “been acting paranoid” for several days, blaming various people for events they had nothing to do with.

HCA Florida Healthcare issued a statement saying it was paying for “our beloved colleague’s” full treatment. The Florida Nurses Association went further, saying it had “long been concerned” about their members’ safety.

“[W]hile there are OSHA and JCAHO standards in place, this continues to happen across the country,” executive director Willa Fuller said in the statement. “With concern about a longstanding nursing shortage, there needs to be substantive action by ALL stakeholders to prevent this kind of egregious action. We would like to see direct care nurses included in any initiatives related to violence against healthcare workers.”

Scantlebury is due in court on Tuesday.

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[Featured image: Stephen Scantlebury/Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office]