St. Charles Rally To Highlight Safety Needs For Nurses

A rally on Friday at the Kane County Judicial Center in St. Charles is meant to shed some light on the need for increased safety and security for health care workers. Hosted by Show Me Your Stethoscope and Healthcare Workers Protection Act, the rally comes nearly three months after an inmate being treated at Delnor Hospital escaped and held two nurses hostage, torturing and raping one of them multiple times, according to a Facebook event post for the rally.

The rally will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the judicial center, 37W777 Route 38 in St. Charles. For those who are unable to attend, event organizers are asking for donations to help cover costs for the rally. Donations can be made via PayPal (SMYSofficial@gmail.com).

Those interested can also purchase a shirt to support the cause.

On May 13, an inmate being treated at Delnor Hospital was left unshackled to go to the bathroom. Tywon Salters, 21, got the gun away from a Kane County guard and proceeded naked down the hallway to the nurse's office at the hospital. There, he took the first nurse hostage, Sean Murray, an attorney for the two nurses held hostage, said during a press conference in May.

Salters then demanded the first nurse take off her clothes so he could put them on, Murray said. He physically restrained her, held her at gunpoint and threatened her. At some point, the second nurse came into the room, and Murray let the first nurse go.

Murray held the second nurse hostage for three and a half hours, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

“He held a gun to her head the entire time,” Murray said. “She was tortured. She was repeatedly beaten with a gun in the back of her head. She was told she was going to die. She was going to leave in a body bag. He said he was going to shoot his way out. … She was also raped.”

A lawsuit filed on behalf of the nurses in May names the Kane County Sheriff's Office, corrections deputy Shawn Loomis and APEX3 security as defendants, according to the Aurora Beacon-News. Beside being sexually assaulted, the lawsuit also claims one of the nurses was struck by a bullet fired by the Kane County SWAT team. That same bullet ended up killing Salters.

"There was a pattern of conduct by the officers who were supposed to be guarding this inmate that directly lead to this incident," Murray said.

More via the STop Assaults On Medical Providers Rally (#STAMP) Facebook page

Photo via the STop Assaults On Medical Providers Rally (#STAMP) Facebook page

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• Nurse Was Raped, Tortured During Delnor Hostage Situation: Attorney
• Delnor Hospital Hostage Situation: Inmate Who Took Employee Hostage Shot Dead (UPDATE)