A tense scene inside a Cleveland Clinic facility in Willoughby Hills ended with a patrol officer nursing an injured eye and a local woman facing a felony charge, after police say a routine call about an irate patient turned violent last Wednesday afternoon.
What Police Say Happened
Officers were sent to the Cleveland Clinic Willoughby Hills Family Health Center shortly after 1:20 p.m. for a report of an unruly patient, according to Cleveland.com. The outlet reports that when officers tried to intervene, the patient struck one of them in the nose and eyes and then gouged at his eye during the struggle. Police say the officer’s injuries were minor and he did not need to be hospitalized.
Arrest and Felony Charge
"The officer is doing well," a Willoughby Hills police representative told Cleveland.com. Court records reviewed by the outlet identify the suspect as 54-year-old Linda Marie Bakos of Willoughby. The records show she was arrested at the scene, taken for a mental-health evaluation, and charged with assaulting a police officer, which is a fourth-degree felony.
Hospital Evaluation
Police say Bakos was transported to University Hospitals Lake West Medical Center for that evaluation. The hospital notes that its Willoughby facility provides emergency and behavioral-health services. University Hospitals Lake West Medical Center lists 24-hour emergency care and inpatient services for the community.
What the Charge Carries Under Ohio Law
Ohio law treats an assault on a police officer differently from a typical assault case. When the victim is a peace officer who is on duty, the charge is elevated to a fourth-degree felony. ORC 2903.13 spells out those assault provisions, while the state’s sentencing rules set the prison range for a fourth-degree felony at six to 18 months, according to ORC 2929.14. The statute also allows for fines.
Clinic’s Recent Spotlight
The confrontation unfolded at a facility that has already been in the local spotlight this month. The Willoughby Hills site recently had its services quietly shifted from Express Care to full urgent care. Cleveland Clinic maintains an online listing for its Willoughby Hills Family Health Center with service details for area patients.
Willoughby Hills police have not said whether more charges could be added as the investigation continues and the municipal prosecutor reviews the case. The next developments in Bakos’s case will appear in court records and on the Willoughby Municipal Court docket.
