NORTHFIELD, Ohio (WOIO) – A dangerous psychiatric patient somehow managed to escape during a dentist appointment.
19 Investigates obtained Northcoast Behavioral Healthcare’s transport policies, which clearly state that staff are not allowed to pursue patients if they escape.
Thankfully Ohio State Highway Patrol were able to take Yusef Dejarnette into custody in Shaker Heights a few hours later without anyone getting hurt.
“I got to pat you down real quick, okay?” a trooper told the patient after they captured him. “Nothing in your pockets that’s going to potentially poke, stick, or harm me no, just the bible?”
On Wednesday, the patient was transported from Northcoast Behavioral Healthcare in Northfield to a medical appointment in South Euclid, and that’s when he escaped.
Anonymous sources with Northcoast Behavioral Healthcare reached out to 19 Investigates concerned about their safety and patient safety when it comes to these transports. I got my hands on a copy of Northcoast’s transport policies. It says staff are not allowed to “pursue a patient who is attempting to flee.” Instead, they’re told to contact police or security at the facility.
In 2002 he was arrested for aggravated attempted murder for shooting four people. One of his victims spoke to us back then.
“Heard three shots and they sounded like three large firecrackers,” the patient said from his hospital bed in 2002. “It was like someone threw firecrackers at me, but I didn’t feel any sharp jabs but I knew I had to have been shot because there was something wrong. I feel blessed that I don’t have spinal damage or I’m not in a worse butchered-up situation than I am now.”
He was found not guilty by reasons of insanity and has been at Northcoast ever since.
“He had grandiose and paranoid delusions,” a judge said at the time.
The policy says patients like Dejarnette can be transported to medical appointments securely or non-securely. The nonsecure transports are done by a member of their transport staff, which can sometimes be done by local ambulance services. At least one staff member is required to go with the patient and stay with them throughout the whole appointment.
Sources told 19 News patients used to only be transported to medical appointments at places that had their own police or security but that has since changed. Sources told us this man walked away from Northcoast staff and there was nothing they could do to stop him.
19 News did reach out to the state department that oversees Northcoast about this. We will update the story when we receive a response.
Copyright 2024 WOIO. All rights reserved.