Woman arrested for child neglect and battery on hospital employee after allegedly driving while impaired
Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Shelly Brigette Seymour, 36, was arrested yesterday morning after a deputy reportedly found her unconscious next to a car with a child inside and she later allegedly attacked a hospital employee who would not let her leave the hospital.
At about 11:46 a.m. on December 28, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy saw a silver SUV parked on the median of W. Newberry Road, west of NW 98th Street, and a woman lying on the ground next to the SUV. The deputy turned around and requested an ambulance because the woman appeared to be unresponsive.
The deputy reported that the woman, who was later identified as Seymour, continued to be unresponsive, and when he checked inside the vehicle, he found a child in the driver’s seat who appeared to be around four years old; nobody else was in the car.
The deputy reported that the woman eventually opened her eyes, which were glassy, and she threw up while EMTs were checking her. The deputy reported that an open can of “Bahama Mama Clubtails” was in the car.
The deputy charged Seymour with child neglect for leaving the child unattended in the middle of a busy roadway; DCF responded to the vehicle and took custody of the child because no family member could be reached. Seymour was transported to the hospital.
At about 5:15 a.m. the next morning, a Gainesville Police Department officer responded to the Clinical Decision Unit at HCA Florida North Florida Hospital, where a nursing supervisor said Seymour had tried several times to leave the hospital and that she asked him if she could make a phone call to check on her children, but he found out that she was actually trying to call someone to pick her up. He said she admitted this when she was confronted, and when he said she could no longer use the phone, she began swinging her fists at him.
The victim said Seymour pushed past him and walked down a hallway, and he followed. Other employees cut her off, and she allegedly charged the victim again and hit him multiple times in the face, chest, and arms. The victim said he restrained her against a wall, then took her to the floor, where she continued trying to hit him.
When the officer asked Seymour what happened, she reportedly said she just wanted the victim to get away from her, so she got out of her bed and tried to walk out of her room, but the victim blocked the doorway and said she could not leave. She said she tried to walk through his arms, he grabbed her, and she pushed him away. She said she walked around, trying to find an exit, with the victim following her, and then he pushed her against a wall and choked her, so she hit him to get away. She said he took her forcefully to the ground and kept her there until security arrived.
The deputy reported that Seymour did not have any visible injuries, but the victim had scratches on his hands.
A witness who was watching security cameras reportedly said he could only see the hallway where Seymour and the victim ended up, but he saw Seymour swinging her fists at the victim while he tried to block the punches.
A second witness said she heard a commotion and saw the victim “antagonize” Seymour by saying he was going to “call the cops.” She said the victim tried to restrain Seymour and Seymour started rapidly hitting him, then the victim took her to the ground and held her there until security arrived.
Seymour was transported to the jail and charged with battery on an emergency medical professional.
The deputy responded to the jail to interview Seymour, and post Miranda, she reportedly admitted she had gone shopping with the young child in Lake City and had consumed “clubtails,” perhaps two or three. She reportedly said she did not remember what happened after that and only remembered waking up in the hospital.
Seymour has no local criminal history. Judge Adam Lee set bail at $65,000 on the child neglect charge and $25,000 on the battery charge.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.Â
Don’t think a nursing supervisor has any legal authority to detain someone and prevent them from leaving a hospital.
She must have been acting psycho and the doctor thought she could be a threat to herself and Baker Acted her but the article doesn’t say maybe due to HIPPA. She should have been under arrest and in handcuffs with a cop present pending jail.
I worked inpatient healthcare. She sure can. Security should have physically removed her, nursing has no reason to put themselves at risk, but she can eject her or detain her for arrest. I have seen a six foot five man fireman carried out of the ER. Its hell’s waiting room.
Wendy, maybe they do have that authority when it comes to drunks and such since they are a danger to themselves and others.
That’s true. No authority to detain anyone!
This may turn out to be a great case, how can it be child neglect if she was unresponsive. Maybe it was a medical incident and she managed to get the car parked and collapsed outside of it.
I hope they took blood and did toxicology at the hospital or else this might get beat.
If they can’t prove the initial charge, everything that happened at the hospital is fruit of the poisonous tree, in addition to Wendy’s comment, it sounds like she woke up suddenly in the hospital, tried to leave not knowing why she was there and tried to fight her way out, the question is….when she woke up and to the time she tried to fight her way out, was a police officer present to tell her she was detained.
or under arrest.
Guilty of reading the headline to the traffic stop and none of the hospital stuff.
I think my logic still stands, this case is the traffic encounter, they can’t hit her with child neglect for being “unresponsive” unless they can prove she was intoxicated. The battery all comes down to there justification for not wanting her to leave.
The only other charge that’s feasible is open container…unless it was empty.
If they charged both of these under the same case number there is her fruit of the poisonous tree play, she beats the neglect she beats the entire case.
Im most likely playing devils advocate but its not about her getting away with it, its about the law following policy and procedure and not trying to “make” a case. As a police officer you will get them sooner or later or maybe never, the rest is in Gods hand, what won’t be allowed is playing hopskotch to make a case.
It stank to high hell but without toxicology, what can you really prove other than a woman who had 2-3 beers and went to lake city and is now not in lake city was passed out outside her car?
Yes we know what it is, but I don’t think it can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Case in point, to prove the neglect you have to prove this was in no way a medical situation, 2-3 beers didnt do this. She aint no light weight.
She tried to sign out AMA… and the hospital didnt like it. Sounds like a false imprisonment to me. On the other hand, doctors could have tried to do an involuntary Baker/Marchman act on her if they thought she would be a danger to herself or others without further intervention.
However I don’t think it would be prudent if health care workers were using the baker act to trap people at the hospital. Scary to think your liberty can be taken from you based soley on what someone else thinks you might do. And it’s totally legal for them do hold you too.
what is AMA?
Against Medical Advice
You never worked healthcare and it shows. We rejoiced if a mean patient wanted to sign out AMA. And its no trap to Baker Act someone, its supposed to be used when they are a danger to themselves and others and the state has to get involved. It has nothing to do with what healthcare staff wants. People like you are why I quit inpatient and will never, ever, go back. Covid and hateful GOP idiots made my life hell for two years. You are so ignorant you think the staff is doing things to not just get more money out of you, but outright hurt you? NO THANKS no dollar amount is worth that life.
I was an RN for 30 years and I agree, I’d never, ever, go back. As to hateful “GOP idiots” well as one of those I call you out for interjecting politics into a non-political discussion and would add that if we’re talking about idiots, let’s take a look at Biden.
Ain’t no amount of Headstart going to fix that 4 y.o. after growing up in that family.
Read the article carefully the witness made a statement that support the patient. Base on what I read the staff that was involved in the altercation use unnecessary force. I would have called security to handle the situation. It’s strange security is never mentioned in the article.