Community Police & Fire

Gig Harbor Police Blotter | Hospital patient spits on, bites and punches nurses

Editor’s note: The Blotter is written based on information provided by Gig Harbor Police , Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One  and the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office.

A 32-year-old woman with a history of mental illness, recently released from the Washington Corrections Center for Women after serving a sentence for assaulting a health care worker, injured two nurses at St. Anthony Medical Center on May 19.

The two nurses had to seek treatment in their own hospital’s emergency room.

The suspect was a patient at Western State Hospital in 2021 and 2022, according to an officer’s report. She was released from the Gig Harbor prison on May 14. Department of Corrections employees took her to St. Anthony “to figure out placement for her.”

On the afternoon of May 19, a nurse reported that the suspect got into an argument with herself. The woman accused the nurse of stealing her sandwich, then spit in her face and slapped her. When a second nurse tried to intervene, the woman bit her and punched her.

Officers arrested the woman on suspicion of assault and took her to the Pierce County Jail.

After fight with coworker, clerk rings up a customer

Two employees at a convenience store on Point Fosdick Drive came to blows late on Sunday, June 2, causing injuries serious enough for one of them to go to the hospital.

A 62-year-old employee of the convenience store called 911 to report that his coworker punched him in the face several times. Officers found the 62-year-old at the store with cuts on his face and blood in his mouth.

A witness said he walked into the store and saw the other employee, a 36-year-old Bremerton man, striking his older coworker. That witness also told police that after the fight, the 36-year-old rang up a customer before leaving the store.

Officers reached the younger employee by phone. He told them that the 62-year-old arrived at the store to begin his shift shortly before the fight, and immediately called the 36-year-old a “f*** up.” The 62-year-old went “on and on” about how the 36-year-old wasn’t doing his job correctly.

The 36-year-old said his coworker shoved him and he he retaliated by “slapping,” though officers observed that the elder employee’s injuries were more consistent with punching. He argued his actions were self-defense.

Officers forwarded a report on the incident to city prosecutors for review.

Ginger on the rocks

A 61-year-old Gig Harbor man told police he drank a single “ginger and tonic” before he was involved in a non-injury collision at the intersection of Harborview and Soundview drives on the evening of June 1.

In response to an officer’s question, the 61-year-old confirmed he meant gin and tonic. He also told officers he no idea why his tongue was blue.

The man collided with two parked cars while driving his Volkswagon through the intersection. Nobody was injured. Officers cited the man for driving under the influence.