5 years later, Phoenix police release video showing chaos at Hacienda birth scene
Newly released video from the Phoenix Police Department shows the chaos that broke out at Hacienda HealthCare when an incapacitated woman gave birth without the knowledge of the staff in December 2018.
Hacienda staff only found out about her pregnancy when she went into labor, leading to a frantic 911 call. The patient, who had been living there since the age of 3 and was in a quadriplegic state, unable to defend or protect herself, had been raped.
The case grabbed national headlines and led to the hospital shutting down, a nurse being sentenced to 10 years and triggered new legislation addressing care facilities.
Hacienda hospital assault: State officials investigate after patient in nursing facility gives birth
The earliest stages of the investigation recently came to light when the Phoenix Police Department released bodycam video in response to public records requests filed five years ago.
The footage from Dec. 29, 2018, captured the fire crews running in and out as nurses, visibly traumatized by the birth, were calmed by co-workers and as police tried to interview witnesses at the care facility, its Christmas decorations still up.
As police officers walked through the hospital, they tried to figure out who had access to the patient's room.
"Do you guys have any male, because what we’re trying to figure out is," the officer said.
"Yeah, I understand," one staff member said. "We have male staff but (patient) is only female care only."
"So no males ever go into her room, allegedly?" the officer asked.
"No," said the staff member.
Despite the patient's file stating that she should only have female caregivers, it was later discovered that Nathan Sutherland, a male nurse working at Hacienda, had sexually assaulted her.
DNA tests confirmed that Sutherland was the one responsible, which led to his arrest and prosecution. He was sentenced in December 2021 to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexual assault and abuse of a vulnerable adult.
Sutherland’s betrayal shocked the staff, as he had worked at Hacienda for eight years and was well-liked.
Nathan Sutherland's sentencing: Former Hacienda nurse who raped, impregnated patient sentenced to 10 years in prison
Sutherland, a practicing Christian and father of four, attributed his actions to being sexually assaulted at an orphanage and neglected by his mother, according to court documents.
The impact of the crime went beyond Hacienda HealthCare. It prompted the passage of a state law that requires intermediate care facilities to obtain a state license and to implement stronger background checks for those caring for vulnerable adults.
The incident also led to the establishment of an Abuse and Neglect Prevention Task Force by the Arizona Health Care Association.
The victim's family reached a settlement with the state, the doctors responsible for her care, and Hacienda HealthCare.
New nursing regulations: Arizona bill would add more state regulation to facility where patient was raped
Hacienda HealthCare issued a statement to the media on Sept. 7, which said, "seeing video from that night almost five years ago is still gut-wrenching. Our hearts again go out to the victim and her family - and we remain disgusted by the behavior of the nurse who harmed a patient."
The facility has undergone a transformation, with new board members, leaders, personnel, security infrastructure, procedures, and resident care protocols, according to the statement.
As for the victim and her child, the family attorney shared with media that the child is now 5 years old, walking, and talking but still too young to fully understand any of what happened.
The victim lives in a different care facility in Phoenix and is in good health, according to the family attorney.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Hacienda HealthCare: Phoenix police video shows initial rape investigation
