STOCKTON ― A California Health Care Facility (CHCF) registered nurse (RN) is recovering from injuries he suffered when an inmate attacked him on Sept. 14; prison officials are investigating the incident as an attempted homicide
On Monday at approximately 2 p.m., inmate Damien McDougland, 36, struck the RN in the back of the head with an unknown object while the RN was performing a clinical task. The RN was taken to an outside hospital for a wound on the back of his head. He received 10 sutures and is home recovering.
The Investigative Services Unit at CHCF is investigating this incident which will be referred to the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office for consideration of felony prosecution for attempted murder. The Office of the Inspector General was notified.
Inmate McDougland was not injured and was appropriately housed in maximum custody.
McDougland was admitted from Alameda County on May 26, 2015, to serve a 20-year sentence for assault with a deadly weapon, assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury, making criminal threats to cause great bodily injury or death, and false imprisonment.
CHCF provides medical and mental health care to incarcerated people who have the most severe and long-term needs. Opened in 2013, CHCF also provides inpatient and outpatient mental health treatment, has a diagnostic center, a dental clinic and dialysis unit; and provides services to inmate-patients needing or recovering from surgery. The facility also has a palliative care unit and a memory care unit for inmate-patients with dementia. The Stockton facility currently houses 2,499 inmates and employs approximately 4,000 staff.
Contact: Wilona Lewis, (209) 467-2512
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