“Outer Banks” actor Austin North is accused of attacking nurses and a phlebotomist at a Las Vegas hospital before being struck in the head with a metal tray and subdued, police said.
The incident occurred in the emergency department of University Medical Center Hospital around 10:40 a.m. Tuesday, Las Vegas police said in an arrest report.
North, 27, who plays Topper Thornton in Outer Banks, is accused of punching a nurse, shoving another in the face and shoving a phlebotomist, according to the arrest report.
The phlebotomist grabbed a tray and hit North in the forehead, knocking him to the ground, the report says. She says the north was under security control. A phlebotomist handles blood draws.
North said in a statement that he did not remember the events that took place at the hospital and that he was suffering from severe anxiety. He said tests showed there was no alcohol or drugs.
“I am deeply disturbed by the events that occurred in Las Vegas last week. My friend took me to the hospital because I thought I was having a heart attack,” North said in a statement.
“I was having a severe anxiety attack. I remember very little of the events that happened that day at the hospital,” he said. “I have great respect for health care and the staff and staff at the hospital.”
North said he had suffered from anxiety for years, “and this was the most severe panic attack I've ever had.”
The Las Vegas police officer who wrote the arrest report noted that North was asked if he remembered what happened, and that North “reported that he did not remember any of the events.”
North was arrested on three counts of battery on a protected person. The charges are considered a gross misdemeanor, according to court records.
Online records show North is free on bond. A criminal complaint hearing is scheduled for March 19, court records show. Records did not list an attorney for North.
Hospital spokesman Scott Corps said he could not comment on details about patient interactions.
“We can comment that violence against health care workers, heroes of our community who dedicate their careers to helping others, is always reprehensible,” Corps said. “UMC remains committed to maintaining as safe an environment as possible for our team members, patients and visitors.”
“Outer Banks” is a Netflix series about teenagers on an island searching for a lost treasure.
