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Patient Wakes Up, Makes Death Threats to Connecticut Surgery Center Staff

Police say she hit and punched staff members, yelled "I'm one of those bad people!"


Talk about a rude awakening. Police say a patient at a Connecticut surgery center became "verbally combative" and later began "hitting and punching staff" and threatened to return with a gun after she emerged from anesthesia last week. Was it emergence delirium or a credible threat?

Police are taking the threat seriously. Police arrested Janeen E. Shaw, 42, after she allegedly assaulted staff and made death threats at the Middlesex Outpatient Surgery Center in Middletown, Conn.

The May 17 outburst took place in front of 7 nurses, doctors, security personnel, and 2 patients. According to a statement from the head nurse, Ms. Shaw may have been "acting out because she had just come out of anesthesia."

Police believe Ms. Shaw "was coherent and aware of the detailed threats she was making, rather than acting out due to anesthesia."

When she stood on the bed and began taking off her gown, the fearful staff decided to let her leave with her husband, who'd come to pick her up. As she dressed, she allegedly yelled, "I'm going to come back and shoot you up!" Finally, just before leaving, she allegedly said, "There are a lot of bad people in the world. Just so you know I am one of those bad people."

Signs and symptoms of emergence delirium or agitation after anesthesia include excitement and alternating periods of lethargy followed by excitement and disorientation. Inappropriate behavior such as screaming, kicking and use of profanities also may occur. Also, patients generally do not respond appropriately to commands. Police, however, believe Ms. Shaw "was coherent and aware of the detailed threats she was making, rather than acting out due to anesthesia."

Ms. Shaw was later arrested at her home and charged with second-degree threatening and breach of peace. Police say she refused to explain the incident beyond saying, "I was just really angry." She initially refused to show identification, but after being ordered to, she eventually threw it at an officer. "I can't take this," she's said to have told police as she was being arrested. "When I get out, I am going to the Arrigoni Bridge to jump off!"

Because of her suicide threat, police had her taken by ambulance to Middlesex Hospital for treatment.

Citing patient privacy laws, a spokesperson for the surgery center declined to comment or provide further information.

Jim Burger