Ms. Derrick reportedly stabbed the disabled patient six times with the hypodermic needle in his leg, arm and knee in an attempt to control the 10-year-old’s behavior. In addition to being caught on video, fellow employees reportedly witnessed the assault. Ms. Derrick is also accused bending back the child’s finger, stepping on his bare foot with her shoe and causing him to fall by shoving away a chair he was using for stability.
Acting Attorney General of New Jersey Christopher S. Porrino said, “A developmentally disabled child, confined to a psychiatric ward under the supervision of nurses, is as vulnerable a patient as you can find. Instead of caring for this boy and protecting him from harm, as was her duty, Naomi Derrick allegedly used her position of authority to bully and assault him. There is no place in the healthcare profession for this kind of barbaric behavior.”
The criminal investigation into Ms. Derrick’s actions is ongoing.
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