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On Wednesday, March 19, at 8:52 p.m., officers responded to Whiting Gardens, at 3000 Hilltop Rd. for a fight between staff and the man, Manchester police said.
The patient, who was diagnosed with dementia, depression, and anxiety had become agitated and began damaging property, Lisa Erickson, a nurse at the facility told officers, police said. Erikson said she deployed pepper spray to de-escalate the situation, and the man was confined to his room, pending the arrival of first responders, police said.
Surveillance footage showed the man being pepper sprayed in the face at extremely close range twice, police said. The man then fell to the ground and remained unattended for several minutes before being forcibly moved to his room by Joshua Benner, a certified nursing assistance and Erikson, police said.
The man remained in his room and was left without medical aid for approximately 46 minutes, police said. Upon arrival, first responders rendered medical aid and he was transported to a nearby hospital, police said.
Erikson, a 58-year-old Manchester resident, was charged with aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and abandonment or neglect of an elderly person, police said. Benner, a 34-year-old Brick resident, and Celia Anetz-Sanzari, a 58-year-old Manchester resident and the on-duty nursing supervisor, were charged with neglect of an elderly patient, police said.
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