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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A woman who refused to leave a hospital after doctors discharged her died after she was forcibly removed by police.
Blountstown Police Department chief Mark Mallory said that 57-year-old Barbara Dawson collapsed Monday while being escorted in handcuffs from the Liberty Calhoun Hospital, where she went to seek treatment for breathing difficulties. Mallory said an officer arrested Dawson for disorderly conduct and trespassing.
Mallory said an autopsy has taken place and that he expects the results to be released Wednesday. Florida Department of Law Enforcement spokesman Steve Arthur says the department has been called in to investigate.
Tallahassee attorney Daryl Parks is representing Dawson's family. He said that doctors thought Dawson was stable and should be released. He said Dawson, however, felt like she was still having breathing issues and wanted to stay.
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