A late-night fight between two patients inside a locked unit at Tewksbury State Hospital has piled fresh fuel on an already heated debate over safety on the state-run campus. Police say both men were charged with assault and battery after their argument turned into a fistfight Tuesday night, the latest in a run of violent incidents that has rattled frontline staff and local officials.
What police say
According to Boston 25 News, officers were called to the hospital campus at about 9:41 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28. A preliminary investigation found that two adult male patients got into a verbal dispute that escalated until they began punching each other. Both were hit with assault and battery charges.
Boston 25 News reports this is the sixth violent episode at the hospital since a controversial security policy change earlier this month.
Town police voice alarm
In an April 7 statement on the Tewksbury Police Department website, Chief Ryan Columbus warned that stripping on-campus public safety officers of less-than-lethal tools could leave both staff and patients more vulnerable. The department said it responded to dozens of assaults at the facility in 2025 and that the steady stream of calls from the hospital is stretching local police resources.
Columbus and town leaders have urged state officials to revisit the security changes, saying the current setup is not working for the community or for the people inside the hospital.
Policy change at center of debate
The recent incidents follow a state decision to bar hospital security from carrying pepper gel, batons and handcuffs, a shift the Executive Office of Health and Human Services says is in line with American Psychiatric Association guidance and is meant to protect the hospital's therapeutic mission.
As reported by GBH News, a state spokesperson said officials are watching how the new rules are being rolled out and are working with local police on de-escalation strategies and training. Even so, some staff and advocates argue the policy took away tools they had depended on to break up violent confrontations quickly.
Unions and lawmakers push for change
Nurses' unions and local lawmakers have called for emergency sit-downs with top state officials and are pressing for a fast course correction. Representative David Robertson told CBS Boston he intends to file legislation that would restore non-lethal equipment to Tewksbury's security staff and pursue wider changes to the system.
Frontline workers told reporters they feel exposed when they are instructed to hold back and wait for police, instead of stepping in with tools they previously had on hand.
Charges and legal process
Both patients involved in Tuesday night's altercation were charged with assault and battery, according to Boston 25 News, and police say the case remains under active investigation. Prosecutors have not released the men's names or any arraignment details, and the allegations have not been proven in court.
Hoodline previously reported on earlier attacks and staff protests at Tewksbury, including an April incident in which a pregnant staffer was allegedly struck during a visit, coverage that has helped fuel mounting pressure on state officials. Town leaders and unions say they plan to keep pushing the Commonwealth for answers, while local officers continue responding to calls across the sprawling hospital campus.
