A 76-year-old man allegedly stabbed a nurse in the neck with a pocket knife at Heywood Hospital in Gardner, Massachusetts. The incident occurred Monday evening around 8 p.m. while the nurse was adjusting the patient's oxygen tube in the emergency room. Prosecutors say the patient grabbed the nurse and stabbed her, resulting in a roughly 3-inch laceration. The injured nurse was transported to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester for treatment, and her current condition remains undisclosed.

The suspect, a resident of Greenville, New Hampshire, was arraigned on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and attempt to commit a crime. He is currently being held on $100,000 cash bail. The suspect's attorney argued that his client poses no flight risk due to significant health issues and a reportedly limited life expectancy of six months. Heywood Healthcare CEO Rozanna Penney condemned the act of violence, emphasizing a zero-tolerance policy and the ongoing evaluation of enhanced security measures to protect both staff and patients.