Buzz
Violence directed at physicians by patients is a long-standing issue that continues to grow. A 2005 study revealed that 75% of emergency room doctors faced at least one verbal threat in the past year, while 30% experienced physical attacks. Additionally, 12% were confronted outside the hospital, and roughly % reported being stalked.
Among the documented physical assaults, 89% were perpetrated by patients themselves, with the remaining incidents involving family members or friends. In China, the fear of violence has deterred many from pursuing careers as doctors or frontline healthcare workers.
Yet, the aggression towards doctors often goes beyond physical attacks. There are harrowing cases where patients have murdered their physicians.
10. Hans Peterson
In October 2006, dermatologist David Cornbleet was tragically killed. Described by his family as a compassionate and dedicated physician, Cornbleet had provided care to burn victims in New York following the 9/11 attacks and to patients in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina.
His daughter Jocelyn discovered his lifeless body in his office. The attack was brutal, with over 20 stab wounds. Surveillance footage captured the assailant, but the individual remained unidentified at the time.
After two months with no suspects or arrests, Cornbleet’s family decided to take action. Leveraging Myspace and an anonymous tip from a US Marine, they successfully identified the murderer.
The killer had been a patient of Cornbleet’s five years prior. He attributed his depression and psychosis to the doctor, who had prescribed Accutane for his acne during that time.
In 2006, the assailant, Hans Peterson, scheduled an appointment with Cornbleet, intending to torture him. However, the 64-year-old doctor resisted, leading Peterson to fatally stab him.
9. Barbara Newman
Psychiatrist Mark Lawrence was discovered dead just one day after expressing concerns about a patient to his close friend and colleague, Melvin Stern. Lawrence had mentioned that his patient was growing increasingly paranoid and had started holding him responsible for all her issues.
Stern suggested that Lawrence arrange a consultation with another doctor for the patient. Lawrence agreed but never had the opportunity to follow through. The patient, Barbara Newman, shot Lawrence in his home before taking her own life.
Lawrence’s death deeply shocked his family, friends, and colleagues. “He was compassionate, loving, and open-minded. He was brilliant and creative, excelling in both analytical and artistic thinking,” Stern told The Washington Post. “He was like a brother to me.”
Cynthia Margolies, another colleague, shared similar sentiments about Lawrence in The Washington Post. “He had an enormous heart,” she remarked. “He was one of the most compassionate individuals you could meet. His ability to guide people through therapy was truly exceptional.”
8. Stephen Pasceri
Dr. Michael Davidson, a 44-year-old cardiovascular surgeon with degrees from Yale and Princeton, worked at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. In January 2015, he was shot twice outside his office and succumbed to his injuries during surgery.
The assailant, 55-year-old Stephen Pasceri, took his own life in an examination room after the killing. Pasceri was deeply disillusioned with the US healthcare system. His father had passed away in 2011 following a brief hospital stay, prompting Pasceri to publicly criticize the system.
Two months prior to the shooting, Pasceri’s mother also died. Davidson had been her physician, and there were reportedly complications during her treatment. This is believed to have motivated Pasceri to target Davidson.
In their official statement regarding the tragic loss of Dr. Davidson, the hospital highlighted his reputation for “saving lives and enhancing the quality of life for every patient under his care.”
7. Vitali Davydov
In 2006, Vitali Davydov faced first-degree murder charges for the killing of his psychiatrist, Wayne Fenton. At just 19 years old, Davydov fatally beat the doctor with his fists during an urgent meeting to discuss treatment options for his schizophrenia.
Fenton was a highly respected psychiatrist, serving as an associate director at the National Institute of Mental Health while also running a private practice in Bethesda. While the specifics of their conversation remain unknown, it is believed to have revolved around Fenton’s insistence that Davydov adhere to his prescribed medication regimen.
Davydov grew increasingly agitated and began striking the doctor in the face. When Davydov’s father arrived to pick him up, he noticed blood on his son’s hands and clothes. The father quickly called 911, but by then, it was too late. Fenton was pronounced dead at the scene.
Davydov admitted to the crime. Although found guilty, he was deemed not criminally responsible and transferred to a maximum-security mental health facility in Maryland. Four years later, Davydov was charged with killing his roommate at the same institution.
6. Lian Enqing
In March 2013, Lian Enqing underwent nasal surgery. Following the procedure, he experienced breathing difficulties and discomfort. While hospital officials maintained that the surgery was successful, Lian’s sister stated that he felt dissatisfied and believed he had been misled.
On October 25, 2013, Lian attacked three doctors at a hospital in Wenling City. He fatally stabbed one ENT specialist, severely wounded another, and caused minor injuries to a third.
Despite his sister’s claim that Lian was receiving treatment for persistent delusional disorder at the Shanghai Mental Health Center, he was sentenced to death. The court ruled that he was fully aware of his actions and therefore accountable for his crime.
Lian was executed on May 25, 2015. Following the attack, many of the hospital staff protested outside, demanding enhanced safety protocols to protect against violent patients.
5. Chester Posby
Dr. John Kemink, a renowned otolaryngologist in the United States, was killed by a dissatisfied patient, Chester Posby. Kemink was shot in the head, shoulder, and abdomen at the University of Michigan Otolaryngology Clinic.
According to the university’s police chief, Posby was a long-time patient of Kemink. However, Posby became convinced that Kemink was collaborating with a Dr. Proctor to conduct a fatal brain surgery on him. He was resolved to expose this alleged conspiracy.
Posby also claimed that Proctor had harmed his “balance nerve.” Additionally, he felt that Kemink had betrayed him by referring him to Proctor. In court, this so-called “conspiracy” was determined to be a product of delusion.
Kemink was a trailblazer in the use of cochlear implants for children and led the cochlear implant program at the University of Michigan.
4. Stanwood Elkus
Stanwood Elkus, a retired barber, had prostate surgery in the early 1990s. On January 27, 2013, he told a friend that Dr. Ronald Gilbert, a urologist, had mishandled the surgery, worsening his incontinence.
Elkus arrived for an appointment with Gilbert the next day, having used a fake name to schedule it. When Gilbert walked into the examination room, Elkus fired nine shots into the doctor’s torso, killing him instantly.
After the shooting, Elkus reportedly exited the examination room with his gun and stated, “Call the police. I’m insane.” Police arrived approximately eight minutes later and took him into custody.
In a tragic turn of events, the shooting may have been a case of mistaken identity. Although Gilbert was employed at the hospital during Elkus’s prostate surgery, there was no evidence that Gilbert had been involved in the procedure.
3. Wilfredo Sabonsolin
After becoming disabled following back surgery, 72-year-old Wilfredo Sabonsolin murdered Dr. Cris Cecil Abbu, the orthopedic surgeon who had operated on him. The tragic event occurred at Sacred Heart Hospital in Cebu City, Philippines, where Abbu had served as a resident doctor for nearly two decades.
Before the surgery, Sabonsolin had been an active runner, but his athletic pursuits had damaged his back. Abbu had suggested spinal cord surgery, reportedly assuring Sabonsolin that he would regain his ability to walk with proper therapy.
Despite regular therapy, Sabonsolin remained wheelchair-bound after the operation. On the day of the killing, hospital security did not inspect Sabonsolin, as he was a familiar face. During an appointment, he fired two shots at the doctor, with one striking Abbu’s chest and proving fatal. Sabonsolin then turned the gun on himself, dying instantly.
2. Thomas Belanger
In February 2008, 18-year-old Thomas Belanger fatally stabbed psychotherapist Diruhi Mattian. Mattian served as a program director for Lawrence FLEX, an initiative designed to support families in crisis.
As stated on the organization’s website, its healthcare professionals provide “services primarily focused on keeping children safely at home with their families, within their communities, and away from residential programs or hospital care.” The program receives funding from Massachusetts’ Department of Mental Health Child and Adolescent Services.
Belanger attacked Mattian when she attempted to disarm him, fearing he might harm himself. Two weeks prior to her death, Mattian had informed her colleagues that she had declined a job offer in San Francisco, choosing instead to remain with Lawrence FLEX.
1. Yuri Lebedev
Dissatisfied with his facial appearance, Yuri Lebedev underwent multiple plastic surgeries on his nose and one on his ears. Despite these procedures, he remained unhappy with the results.
Dr. Alexander Remizov, who had managed Lebedev’s surgeries, informed him that no further improvements were possible. Police later discovered a letter from Remizov suggesting that Lebedev consult a psychiatrist.
In September 2015, Lebedev entered the Russian Railways Hospital in St. Petersburg carrying a Vepr machine gun concealed in cloth. He entered Remizov’s office, shot the doctor in the chest, and then turned the gun on himself, ending his own life.
Remizov succumbed to his injuries the next morning. Lebedev, reportedly a former member of the Russian military, was facing personal struggles at the time of the incident.
