GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Kent County Prosecutor’s Office is looking into the July death of a retiree to determine if criminal charges are warranted against a nursing home patient accused of throwing a punch that caused the man to die.
The victim, 81-year-old Dan Richard McBrian, shared a room with his accused assailant at Samaritas Senior Living in Grand Rapids.
McBrian was assaulted on Jan. 31; he died 5½ months later of medical complications from a fractured jaw. McBrian’s death certificate lists the manner of death as homicide.
The accused assailant, who was 61 years old at the time, starting to show signs of aggression a few days prior to the assault, according to Brenda Hayes, McBrian’s daughter.
“A few days before the attack, he seemed really aggressive towards my dad and kind of controlling,’’ Hayes said. “He started shouting and yelling. I was very concerned.’’
She said her father was in a wheelchair when he was assaulted. The roommate accused McBrian of theft before throwing a punch, Hayes said.
“He came around and punched my dad in the jaw with such force and pushed him down on the ground,’’ she said. “He did it with such force that his false teeth went flying out of his mouth.’’
McBrian’s daughter says she wants to see the man held accountable, even if he has mental health issues.
“I want him in a secured facility where he cannot injure or harm anyone else,’’ Hayes said. “If it is not prison, then it should be in a secured, locked institution.’’
Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said he is reviewing facts of the case to determine if charges are appropriate.
McBrian, who worked in the automotive industry until he was 75 years old, “suffered horrifically’’ after the assault, the daughter said. He took nourishment from a feeding tube; medical complications attributed to the assault caused his condition to worsen.
The incident happened at the Samaritas facility at 1950 32nd Street SE, east of Kalamazoo Avenue.
The organization released a statement on Tuesday saying Samaritas staff reported the incident to Grand Rapids police and the state of Michigan within two hours of it happening.
“Appreciating the serious nature of this incident, Samaritas made its staff available to all investigatory agencies,’’ the company said in an emailed statement. “Both the state of Michigan and the Grand Rapids police interviewed our staff completely. The state of Michigan did not issue Samaritas any citations.’’
Samaritas extended condolences to the victim’s family and friends.
Hayes, the oldest of McBrian’s two children, says her mother is devastated by the loss.
“I want justice for my dad and the protection of other people,’’ Hayes said. “And closure. My family needs closure on this.’’
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