TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A mental health worker is facing manslaughter charges in the death of a patient. The worker is accused of being too rough trying to subdue the patient.
Court documents say a man named Bluesky Thomas had been a quiet patient at Sonora Behavioral Health but one day in October he became unruly and tried to escape. The charges against Bryce Nolan Coleman say how Coleman subdued a patient left the man dead.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department says Thomas had been a patient at the Sonora Behavioral Health inpatient facility near Orange Grove and La Cholla.
Court documents charging Coleman blot out the victim's name but say the patient had been trying to escape and continued trying to escape even after he was given sedation drugs.
The documents say video surveillance showed Coleman shoved the man into his room at least four times and became more aggressive each time.
Soon equipment arrives to revive the patient. He died in a hospital the next day.
The autopsy report showed a broken neck, teeth knocked out and liver lacerations.
Bluesky Thomas died in October, but Coleman was arrested Monday.
Complaints prompted the Arizona Department of Health Services to make 24 inspections of that Sonora Health facility in roughly the last three years. Sonora Health was fined ten thousand dollars early this year as a result of infractions involving several patients.
Sonora Health says it’s committed to quality patient care. The company issued a statement that says:
“Sonora Behavioral Health maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy for any conduct that compromises patient wellbeing or the integrity of care. The employee arrested was terminated following an internal investigation. Sonora Behavioral Health has cooperated and will continue to fully cooperate with authorities.
We extend our deepest sympathies to the patient’s family.
Sonora Behavioral Health remains firmly committed to providing high-quality care for individuals facing complex behavioral health and substance use challenges.”
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Craig Smith is a reporter for KGUN 9. With more than 40 years of reporting in cities like Tampa, Houston and Austin, Craig has covered more than 40 Space Shuttle launches and covered historic hurricanes like Katrina, Ivan, Andrew and Hugo. Share your story ideas and important issues with Craig by emailing craig.smith@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook and Twitter.
