Nurse arrested following fight with officers

A registered nurse at Erlanger hospital was booked into the Hamilton County Jail Thursday night and charged with assault on police after fighting with officers inside the hospital’s emergency room.

Police responded to the hospital at 9:30 p.m. on a report of an assault and were told by staff there that Roger Davis, 42, was causing problems for them while they were caring for his mother in the emergency room. Davis was asked by staff and the hospital’s vice president to leave, but he refused, according to court documents.

Davis was in the lobby speaking loudly about his disagreement with hospital staff when officers arrived, but when they asked him to keep it down, he said he was speaking with his father and would continue. Officers then told him he would be asked to leave if he didn’t comply, and he responded by saying, “Then do it.”

After telling Davis to leave multiple times, an officer placed a hand on Davis’ arm, at which point he became combative, according to an incident report. He began swinging his arms and punched an officer in the face, ignoring commands to stop resisting.

The two officers couldn’t take Davis to the ground, so one placed a stun gun against his chest and told him three times that he would be stunned if he didn’t stop resisting. Davis said, “Go ahead,” so the officer stunned him.

Davis fell to the ground but refused to place his hands behind his back until one of the officers said he would be stunned again if he didn’t comply. He then placed his arms behind his back and officers took him into custody.

Medical staff at Erlanger checked and cleared Davis so police took him to the Hamilton County Jail, where he was booked on charges of disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and two counts of assault on police. He is scheduled to appear in court before General Sessions Judge Clarence Shattuck on May 2.

“Erlanger would like to thank our associates, security and the Chattanooga Police Department for containing the situation that occurred on the evening of April 26 and ensuring the safety of our patients, visitors and staff,” a hospital spokeswoman said in a statement. “Because of their diligence, patient care in the emergency department was in no way impacted as a result of this isolated incident.”