Police: Nurse sexually assaulted by patient at UPMC Mercy

A patient at UPMC Mercy Hospital was charged with aggravated assault and indecent assault following an alleged attack on a nurse.

According to the police criminal complaint obtained by Channel 11, the patient is Gary Lee Day, of Swissvale, and the assault was unprovoked.

UPMC police say it happened early Saturday morning when the nurse went to answer a call light for Day, who was in a hospital room on the 10th floor.

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Here is what the nurse, whom we are not identifying, told police about the assault:

“Without warning, grabbed her, threw her on the bed, ripped her bra completely off her body, got on top of her, dug his nails into her back. She screamed for help.”

When police interviewed the alleged victim in the emergency room, but they said they saw evidence of the attack: visible scratches on her body.

Because of laws protecting patient confidentiality, officials at UPMC told Channel 11 they cannot comment on whether Day is still hospitalized in their facility, but said patient and visitor safety is a priority.

Gary Lee Day was charged at the end of January with public intoxication, a misdemeanor. He had no violent criminal history that we could find.

Cox Media Group