SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio nurse went from helping a patient to becoming one himself, according to a police report.
James Roy, a nurse who has worked in the intensive care unit at Northeast Baptist Hospital since the pandemic, suffered a traumatic brain injury following an assault by a patient at Northeast Baptist Hospital in July 2024.
He has spent considerable time in patient rooms, and over the past year, the majority of his visits have been for his own medical needs.
‘I blacked out’: Police report describes assault on nurse
“A lot of it has been a blur,” Roy said.
On July 12, 2024, Roy was trying to help a patient in the unit.
“I walked up and said, ‘Hey, we need to get back to bed,’” Roy recalled. “And the next thing I know, I’m being put in a wheelchair and taken down to the [emergency department].”
Roy doesn’t remember what happened before he ended up in his own hospital room.
“I blacked out and that part of the memory never came back,” he said.
Another nurse who witnessed the attack described what happened to San Antonio police.
According to the police report, the nurse said Roy followed hospital policy and tried to stop the patient from standing.
Court records identified the patient as John Demetrious Hudson.
Hudson pushed Roy into glass doors, which led to Roy hitting his head. The report states Hudson got on top of Roy and put him in a headlock.
“You don’t expect a call like that,” said James Roy’s wife, Christie Roy.
She rushed to be with him.
“His legs were a little bit bruised over here,” Christie Roy said, describing her husband’s injuries.
James Roy’s left pupil was blown out, Christie Roy said.
The Roys said the assault led to doctors diagnosing James with a traumatic brain injury, which included seizures.
“Do you blame the patient for what happened?” KSAT asked James Roy.
“Little bit, yeah,” he replied.
Delayed justice
According to the notes in the police report, James Roy said he wanted to press charges against Hudson.
The Roys say they did not receive updates on the case for about a year.
“They’ve just been silent, they haven’t returned my calls,” said Christie Roy.
SAPD told KSAT Investigates they handed the case to the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office shortly after the assault, but did not provide a date.
The DA’s office said SAPD did not turn over the complete case until January 2025, more than six months after the assault.
Court records show a grand jury indicted Hudson on one count of assault of hospital personnel on hospital property. The felony charge has been enhanced because of Hudson’s prior criminal history in Bexar County, according to an indictment.
The DA’s office said advocates reached out to the Roys to notify them about the charge. The Roys dispute that, saying they did not learn about Hudson’s arrest until KSAT Investigates informed them earlier this month.
The Roys believe Northeast Baptist Hospital should share some of the blame.
Federal regulations state workplace-related hospitalizations should be reported to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) within 24 hours.
An OSHA spokesperson confirmed to KSAT Investigates that the agency was not notified about the 2024 incident.
KSAT Investigates requested an interview with a Northeast Baptist Hospital official, but the hospital system refused to make anyone available.
Baptist Health System public relations manager Natalie Gutierrez declined to explain why the incident was not reported to OSHA. She said the hospital does not comment on matters involving employees.
In a statement, Gutierrez said the hospital system requires staff to follow strict protocols from OSHA and several other national and state health agencies.
“In addition, our hospitals offer all staff and patients resources that not only safeguard their physical wellness, but also care for their mental health,” Gutierrez added.
“Do you think the hospital failed you that day?” KSAT asked James Roy.
“Not a complete failure that day, but in the months and coming up to a year now since, absolutely,” he responded.
Despite his health setbacks, he is back in the hospital working in a different unit.
“We all have responsibilities, we have bills to pay, and I have a wife and a son,” he said.
Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.