A security guard charged with involuntary manslaughter after a run-in with a patient has the full backing of the Austell hospital where he works, Channel 2 Action News reported.
Jerry Thomas Evans, 32, of Austell also is charged with reckless conduct for an incident at Wellstar Cobb Hospital in August that left a 57-year-old man dead.
Police said William Darrell West of Marietta was intoxicated when he entered the hospital and hit his head during a confrontation, dying of blunt force trauma.
The medical examiner's office investigated the cause of death, and it's taken this long to file charges, Cobb County police spokesman Sgt. Dana Pierce told the AJC last week.
An arrest warrant was issued Friday, and Evans turned himself in Sunday night. He was released early Monday from the Cobb County Jail on a $20,000 bond, according to the Cobb County Sheriff's Office website.
The hospital conducted its own review of the incident, clearing Evans, who still works there, Channel 2 said. Officials believe surveillance video will prove Evans' innocence, the report said.
Defense attorney Vic Reynolds told the AJC that the hospital contacted him after the incident, asking him to represent Evans.
"They believe he used the right amount of force in the incident," Reynolds said.
Reynolds said that West was loud, boisterous and belligerent when brought to the hospital by Cobb police for medical attention for excessive drinking. West tried to leave the room when his handcuffs were removed, and that's when the confrontation with Evans took place, he said.
Evans pushed West, who slipped and fell on the floor, possibly striking a metal object, Reynolds told the AJC.
"He died on the scene," Reynolds said.
The attorney said he would see the surveillance video this week. He said is client is very upset about the circumstances of the case and the charges, and they are hoping he won't be indicted.
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