Rochester Man Accused of Assaulting St. Mary’s Hospital Patient

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- The Olmsted County Attorney’s Office has filed a felony assault charge against a Rochester man in connection to an incident that occurred at St. Mary’s Hospital. 

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Court documents say Rochester police responded to an assault call in the hospital’s emergency department on Tuesday. Staff members told police that a patient had left his room and entered another patient’s room where he allegedly began punching the man in the face multiple times. 

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The criminal complaint says staff confronted the alleged assailant, identified as 21-year-old Eugene Washington Jr., after he ran out of the other patient’s room. Washington then ran back into the other patient’s room and began punching him in the face again, the complaint says. 

Washington was then restrained and returned to his room. Officers restrained Washington and arrested him after he attempted to flee law enforcement on foot on three occasions, the complaint states. 

The attending physician told officers the victim suffered a broken nose. The man told police he suffered a chipped tooth during the alleged attack, according to the complaint. The court document does indicate a motive for the alleged attack or if Washington and the victim are connected. 

Washington was arraigned on a third-degree assault charge in Olmsted County Court Wednesday. The judge in the case set his bail at $50,000. 

Washington is also facing charges connected to an incident at Rochester’s Cub Foods last September in which he’s accused of waving a replica handgun at a man and woman over a parking dispute. He was initially released without bail but with conditions in that case before being arrested for failing to appear at a court hearing last month. 

Court records indicate Washington posted a $5,000 non-cash bond on February 3. His next court appearance in both cases is set for March 16.