A free-spirited man with a long rap sheet is said to be targeting female doctors and nurses in the Bronx, with at least four attacks in the past five years, The Post has learned. .
Edward Johnson, 57, an undocumented immigrant believed to be from the Caribbean who came to the United States more than a decade ago, has been arrested 23 times on charges including gun possession, according to sources and records. He has made 42 additional arrests that have been sealed since his arrival in the United States.
Authorities say he has a dangerous habit of skipping supervised release, being lame and attacking female health care workers who try to treat him.
“Every time he goes to the hospital, he hits the nurses and doctors,” said an NYPD official.
He has recorded four similar assaults at three Bronx hospitals since 2019, and Colleen Leahy, an emergency room doctor at St. Barnabas Hospital, is also a repeat victim, officials said. She told police he also attacked her in July 2022 and in September last year.
“I’m scared every single day at work,” Leahy, 28, said. Leahy has lost 20 pounds since the assault in September due to concerns about his imminent return.
And her mother is also scared.
“I’m worried that my daughter will be the next Laken Riley,” Eileen Leahy said. Six months after authorities released her after her child endangerment arrest in Queens, she spoke out about a Georgia nursing student who was allegedly murdered by an illegal immigrant from Venezuela. she.
The hospital attack dates back to December 2019, when Johnson was arrested on suspicion of assault after allegedly punching a 45-year-old female doctor in the mouth and punching a 61-year-old female nurse in the chest at Albert Einstein Hospital in Morris Park. Ta.
His last arrest was on January 13, when he allegedly shoved a sock into the eye of a 26-year-old nurse who was trying to take her blood pressure at Jacobi Medical Center in Pelham Gardens, police officials said. The unidentified nurse suffered bruises and swelling, and Johnson was charged with assault.
A warrant was issued for his arrest last month after he failed to comply with supervised release and ignored authorities. Patrice O’Shaughnessy, a spokeswoman for Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, said the case is now being referred to a grand jury to ensure Johnson’s indictment.
Johnson is alleged to have first attacked Leahy on July 16, 2022, at St. Barnabas, while the ER doctor, who had only been on the job for two months, was attempting to provide care. Authorities said the man punched her in the right eye, causing severe bruising.
He refused to give his name to police, but was eventually charged with second-degree assault and injury to a health care worker. He spent eight months in prison, but details of his release remain unclear.
Leahy said an assistant district attorney working for Clark called her in April 2023 and explained that the office would not take the case to trial because it “didn’t want to get hurt.” [Johnson’s] He was granted “residence status” and believes that the eight-month detention period was sufficient.
But Mr O’Shaughnessy insisted Mr Johnson’s immigration status had no bearing on the decision.
She said it was only after Leahy refused to pursue further in court that she struck a plea deal on the lesser charge of attempted assault, meaning no additional prison time was imposed. She also said Leahy was also granted an order of protection against Johnson, which remains in effect.
Not yet in September Authorities said Johnson returned to St. Barnabas on Wednesday and allegedly kicked Leahy in the head as he and a male co-worker attempted to inject a needle into his arm. Leahy also claimed that he had assaulted another female nurse at the hospital hours earlier.
No arrests were made, but Leahy filed a police report two days later saying the assault left him with a headache, New York City police officials said.
“It’s upsetting that he continues to do this to healthcare workers, especially women, and then get fired,” Leahy said. “They have detained him so many times, so why would he be released to attack other people and other health workers?”
