State declines to prosecute Florida doctor accused of striking patient: court documents
LEESBURG, Fla. - Editor's note: FOX 35 has updated the article below and the headline to reflect that state prosecutors filed "no information" in the case against Dr. Onyekachi Nwabuko, citing "victim/witness issues" and insufficient evidence to prove the battery claims beyond a reasonable doubt, according to court records.
Original story:
The Leesburg Police Department arrested an emergency room doctor for allegedly repeatedly striking a patient in the face multiple times.
Officers responded to UF Health Leesburg about a battery call on Wednesday around 8 a.m.
Investigators said that Dr. Onyekachi Nwabuko, 44, was treating an unresponsive patient in the emergency room, who he thought was faking her condition.
A witness told police it is common practice for a doctor to drop the patient's hand over their face to determine if a patient is faking their illness. If the patient is aware, they will either move or stop their hand from hitting their face.
RELATED: Bob Saget: 911 call, new details revealed in actor's death in Orlando
According to the witness, Dr. Nwauko continued hitting the woman in the face with her hand and then left the room after hitting her multiple times.
Dr. Onyekachi Nwabuko is charged with battery.
The arrest affidavit said Dr. Nwauko returned to the room and started slapping the patient again.
"He then began striking the victim a third time with her hand. She stated she could again see the victim resisting the actions, but the doctor became angry, striking the victim harder," a witness told police.
According to the arrest affidavit, the IV line was ripped from the victim's arm, causing her to bleed onto herself.
The victim told police she was semi-unconscious and could not speak or physically resist the doctor's force. She also said she could hear the doctor laughing and mocking her.
Police said, the victim suffered significant swelling, redness, and bruising to her left eye.
Nwabuko was placed under arrest and charged with three counts of Battery.
In July 2022, state prosecutors with the Fifth Judicial Circuit of Florida filed "no information" in the case, essentially dropping the charges against Dr. Nwauko, citing "victim/witness issues, leading to "insufficient evidence to prove the battery charges beyond a reasonable doubt, court documents said.
A judge then ordered the case expunged.