SEATTLE — The Seattle Police Department (SPD) says a 29-year-old man was arrested on Saturday morning after destroying a hospital room at Harborview Medical Center.
At 10:15 a.m. on Feb. 13, SPD said officers responded to the hospital after reports of a man who was allegedly attacking nurses inside a trauma room.
The man was initially admitted on Friday night for a wrist injury but when he was discharged, he became enraged, attacking and spitting on hospital staff.
He also broke open an oxygen line, set fire to a bucket of medical supplies, made a noose with plastic tubing, and threatened to kill himself, according to Seattle Police.
“During this time, he had ripped open the oxygen line and he lit a fire,” said Eric Muñoz with Seattle PD. “That creates a substantial risk of explosion.”
Hospital staff and security subdued the man as the fire could have caused an explosion inside the hospital with the broken oxygen line filtering into the room, a police report said.
Muñoz said Sauro also kicked and spat on nurses and security guards during the attack.
“These specific trauma rooms are very valuable,” Muñoz said. “When you destroy that room, when you take away that use for medical patients, that creates disruption inside the hospital.”
The man was arrested and booked into the King County Jail, facing charges of assault, arson, property destruction, and interference with a healthcare facility.
He also had previous warrants and a criminal history of assaulting law enforcement, SPD said.
The hospital estimated he caused around $100,000 in damages, which Harborview will incur for restoration.
The hospital told KIRO 7 that the emergency department continues to maintain full trauma capability with other designated trauma rooms.
“We take the safety of our staff very seriously. Our facility has multiple layers of security in place, including trained on‑site security personnel, controlled access points, and protocols designed to quickly respond to any safety concern. We continually review and strengthen these measures to ensure a safe environment for both our patients and our staff," the hospital shared.
©2026 Cox Media Group
