Deputy Who Allegedly Attacked 3 Nurses (1 Pregnant) Faces Felony Charges

Image source: KHOU

Sgt. Robert Earl Nobles Jr., a Harris County Precinct 3 deputy constable, has been charged with three felony counts of assault on medical personnel after allegedly attacking three nurses, including a pregnant nurse, at Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital on January 1, 2026. The incident has renewed outrage among nurses who already face some of the highest rates of workplace violence in healthcare.

What Happened At Houston Methodist Baytown?

According to KHOU, 42-year-old Sgt. Robert Earl Nobles Jr. was admitted to Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital on January 1, 2026, waiting for an MRI when the violence erupted.

• A nurse heard screaming from his room, entered to check and reported that Nobles chased her before punching her in the face and knocking her down.
• A second nurse, 26 weeks pregnant, said Nobles grabbed a printer and struck her head twice, then slammed a computer monitor onto her back, causing her to fall while she tried to call security.
• A third nurse reported that Nobles punched her in the back of the head near the ICU as she attempted to flee, leaving her unconscious; one account described him as if he was “detached from the world."

Staff restrained Nobles on a gurney and sedated him before police arrived, with hospital surveillance video corroborating the nurses' statements.

Charges And Employment Status

Multiple outlets report that Nobles has been charged with three felony counts of assault on medical personnel related to the attacks on the three nurses.​

Harris County Precinct 3 confirmed Nobles, a sergeant since 2017, was allegedly relieved of duty on January 1. Investigators still seek a motive, noting he arrived voluntarily without an emergency detention order.

Hospital Violence Against Nurses

Violence like this is not rare for bedside staff, even if the details in Baytown feel especially horrific.

• A nationwide survey analyzed by National Nurses United found that 81.6% of nurses reported experiencing at least one type of workplace violence incident in 2023, and nearly half said violence in their unit had increased over the previous year.
• Another summary of workplace violence data notes that healthcare workers account for 73% of all nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses due to violence and that hospital staff experience roughly 1,739 assaults per month, or about 57 assaults per day.
• Commonly reported behaviors range from verbal threats and harassment to being “physically threatened” or “pinched or scratched,” and many nurses say these events contribute to burnout and decisions to leave their jobs.

For nurses reading about Baytown, this story is not just about one officer in one hospital; it is about a pattern many have lived through on night shifts, in ED hallways and behavioral health units. Nurse.org readers will remember the many times we have covered these workplace assaults:

• Nurse Leela Is Finally Going Home After Surviving a Brutal Attack in Feb 2025!
• Nurse Assaulted by Patient, Loses Pregnancy—Her Story Exposes Healthcare’s Safety Crisis
• Nurses Say Violent Assaults By Patients Are a Silent Epidemic
• "We’re Not Safe at Work”: Hospital Violence Pushes Nurses To Call For Change

Why This Case Hits A Nerve For Nurses

• The alleged assailant in this case was a sworn law enforcement officer, which many nurses see as a painful breach of trust with a profession that often shares their units and hallways.
• The fact that one of the victims reported being 26 weeks pregnant when she was struck in the head with a printer and had a monitor slammed onto her back is particularly distressing to nurses who are pregnant or planning families while working bedside.
• The description of a nurse being punched in the back of the head as she tried to run away, losing consciousness, resonates with nurses who have had to choose between their own safety and staying with a deteriorating patient.
• Reports note that Nobles tried to run toward the ICU area before staff were able to restrain him, a detail that underscores how quickly an incident in one room can spill into critical care spaces where nurses are already stretched thin.

Nurses know that when violence erupts on the unit, there is rarely time to process fear or anger in the moment; there is only time to respond, protect patients and keep going. Stories like this can retraumatize nurses who have been hit, kicked, or threatened at work and then told it was “part of the job.”

Nurses who have experienced workplace violence or who are worried about their safety deserve more than thoughts and prayers; they deserve enforceable safety policies, responsive leadership and legal systems that recognize assault on a nurse as the serious crime it is.

Nurse.org will continue to update this article as more information about this assault becomes available.

🤔Nurses, share your thoughts about this below.