A Brooklyn hospital security guard has been arrested for allegedly strangling and assaulting a mentally ill patient, authorities said Friday.
Maurice Dunlop, a contracted guard for Interfaith Medical Center, put his arm around the patient’s neck and lifted the man off the ground, authorities said.
Dunlop also punched him in the face, said prosecutors from the state Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs.
Dunlop, 38, has been charged with endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person and other charges stemming from the January incident.
A judge freed Dunlop on his own recognizance.
“Workers who disregard their responsibilities, putting vulnerable victims in a stranglehold and punching them, as this defendant is alleged to have done, must be held accountable,” Special Prosecutor Patricia Gunning said in a statement.
“In this case, the victim suffered injuries. Fortunately they were not more severe,” Gunning added.
Dunlop has also been suspended from his position.
If convicted, Dunlop faces up to four year in prison for the top charge, authorities said.
Dunlap’s next court date is scheduled for Aug. 8.
