A Greenwood psychiatric hospital is under intense scrutiny after a tech was charged in what investigators describe as a violent encounter with a severely disabled patient caught on video inside a locked unit.
According to court filings and footage reviewed by police, staffers were seen forcibly handling the man, including a sequence where his head and neck were grabbed and positioned between a worker’s thighs. Investigators say the incident, reported to Greenwood police in early June, has already led to internal firings and now criminal charges.
As reported by FOX59, court documents state that 44-year-old Nicole Fries put the patient’s head between her thighs, later seized him by the head and neck, and pushed his head backward. The paperwork and video indicate the patient, described by the complainant as severely mentally handicapped and functioning at about the level of a 3-year-old child, struck Fries in the face and bit her left arm after being provoked. Coworkers told investigators the confrontation began when the patient repeatedly banged his head on a nurse’s window, according to the station’s review of the records.
The alleged assault took place at the Medical Behavioral Hospital of Indianapolis in Greenwood, a psychiatric facility listed by the Indiana Department of Health at 1167 Wilson Drive. State records confirm the hospital operates an inpatient psychiatric unit with dozens of beds and is licensed to provide adult behavioral health services. Public listings show the hospital as part of a broader neuropsychiatric network serving patients in Indiana.
Greenwood police records and court filings show that Fries, who worked as a tech at the facility, has been charged with battery against a disabled person, a Level 6 felony under Indiana law, after officers took a report on June 2, as detailed by FOX59. Authorities said two employees at the hospital were later terminated. Court documents list Fries’ initial hearing for July 27 at 9 a.m. The charge is a formal allegation, and she remains presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Legal implications
Under Indiana law a Level 6 felony carries a potential sentence of six months to two and a half years in prison, with an advisory term of one year and possible fines, according to the Indiana Code. Judges weigh aggravating and mitigating factors when deciding punishment, and any conviction can trigger collateral fallout such as professional licensing issues and future employment barriers.
Fries is scheduled to appear in Johnson County court on July 27 for her initial hearing, where prosecutors are expected to outline the state’s evidence on the record. The case has sharpened concerns about care and oversight for highly vulnerable patients in private psychiatric facilities, and advocates as well as local officials may be watching closely for any administrative or licensing actions that follow. For now, the criminal case moves forward in court while the hospital continues reviewing its staffing, training, and policies tied to patient safety.
