Crime & Safety
Elderly Woman Dies After Fight Over Social Distancing: Report
An 86-year-old woman was shoved to the ground by a fellow woman patient, 32, over social distancing concerns, according to a report.
BEDFORD-STUYVESANT, BROOKLYN — A dustup over coronavirus-related social distancing at a Brooklyn hospital ended with an elderly woman fatally injured, according to reports.
A woman patient, 32, shoved an 86-year-old woman to the ground at Woodhull Medical Center on Saturday, police said. NYPD said they didn't have more details, but the Washington Post reported the two patients got into a dispute over social distancing.
Health experts recommend maintaining at least 6 feet of distance between people and other social distancing to stop the new coronavirus' spread.
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The younger woman told authorities the 86-year-old woman was "in my face" and got too close while the two were in the hospital's emergency room, the Washington Post reported.
Police said the younger patient shoved the elderly patient, who hit her head on the floor and lost consciousness during the 2 p.m. altercation. The woman later died and a medical examiner will determine the cause of death, authorities said.
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The New York Daily News reported the woman's death could be the city's first coronavirus-related homicide.
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