Jordan Ellis
On February 13, 2024, Austin North, the 27-year-old actor known for his role in the Netflix series Outer Banks, was arrested for gross misdemeanor battery after allegedly assaulting multiple ER hospital workers in Las Vegas, Nevada. North claimed he was experiencing a severe anxiety attack and had very little memory of the incident, but hospital staff claimed that North attacked them unprovoked.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Austin North |
| Age | 27 |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Known for | Topper Thornton in "Outer Banks" |
| Incident location | University Medical Center Hospital, Las Vegas |
| Incident date | Tuesday, February 13, 2024 |
| Incident time | Around 10:40 a.m. |
| Incident details | Allegedly punched and shoved nurses, pushed a phlebotomist |
| Response by staff | Phlebotomist hit North with a tray, security restrained and handcuffed North |
| Response by authorities | North arrested for gross misdemeanor battery, charged with assaulting protected persons |
| North's statement | Experiencing a severe anxiety attack, has little memory of the incident, tests negative for drugs and alcohol |
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What You'll Learn
Austin North's claims of a panic attack
On February 13, 2024, Austin North, the 27-year-old actor known for his role in the Netflix series Outer Banks, was arrested for gross misdemeanour battery after allegedly assaulting multiple ER hospital workers in Las Vegas. According to a police report, North attacked four staffers, including two nurses and a phlebotomist, in the emergency department of University Medical Center Hospital. The actor allegedly punched a nurse in the head, shoved another in the face, and pushed a phlebotomist, who then struck him with a tray in self-defence.
In the wake of his arrest, North released a statement on his Instagram Story, saying that he was deeply upset by the events that took place and that he has the utmost respect for healthcare workers and hospital staff. He claimed that he was experiencing a severe anxiety attack or panic attack, which he initially believed was a heart attack. North also stated that he has struggled with anxiety for years and that this was the worst attack he had ever experienced. He expressed his hope to raise awareness about anxiety disorders and help others who have faced similar challenges.
While some have expressed sympathy for North's struggles with mental health, others have criticised his attempt to excuse his violent behaviour. They argue that panic attacks do not cause people to violently assault others and that blaming his anxiety is a poor justification for his actions. There is also speculation that North may be lying about his panic attack or using it as a legal defence to avoid criminal responsibility for his assault charges.
North has since been released from custody on bond. He is facing multiple counts of assault, including three counts of assault on a protected person, as nurses and doctors are considered protected persons under the law.
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North's history of anxiety
Austin North, the 27-year-old actor best known for his role in the Netflix series Outer Banks, has spoken out about his history of anxiety following his arrest for allegedly assaulting multiple ER hospital workers in Las Vegas.
In a statement on his Instagram story, North said he was “deeply upset” by the events that took place and that he has “the utmost respect for healthcare workers and hospital staff”. He went on to say that he has “battled anxiety on and off for years” and that the incident was the result of a “severe anxiety attack”, which he at first thought was a heart attack. North also said that he has “very little memory” of the events that took place in the hospital.
According to police reports, North allegedly punched a nurse in the head, shoved another in the face, and pushed a phlebotomist. The phlebotomist then reportedly hit North in the head with a tray in self-defence, after which hospital security restrained and handcuffed North to a gurney.
While some have expressed sympathy for North and his struggles with anxiety, others have criticised the idea that his anxiety justifies his actions. One commenter on Reddit said, "People have a hard time understanding that criminal responsibility is different from a criminal act and takes a significant process to figure out... Psycho-legal processes are not just resolved by saying 'I had a panic attack'". Another commenter expressed concern that using anxiety as a defence for violence could "open a door to all kinds of shitty legal defences".
Despite the criticism, North has stated that he hopes to "shed light on this debilitating disorder and send hope to those who have also struggled".
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The hospital staff's account of the incident
According to the hospital staff, Austin North entered the emergency room of the University Medical Center Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada, and unprovokedly attacked four of its members. The incident occurred around 10:40 a.m. on Tuesday.
North allegedly punched a nurse in the head, shoved another by the face, and pushed a phlebotomist. The phlebotomist then grabbed a tray and hit North in the forehead, knocking him down. The actor was subdued by security officers and handcuffed to a gurney.
Hospital security finally restrained North, but not before he allegedly attacked another victim, whose function in the medical center was not clear.
North, in his statement, said he was experiencing a severe anxiety attack and had very little memory of the events that took place at the hospital. He also mentioned that tests proved negative for drugs and alcohol in his system.
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North's charges and arrest
North was arrested on February 13, 2024, for gross misdemeanour battery following an attack on hospital employees in an emergency room in Las Vegas, Nevada. The incident occurred at the University Medical Center Hospital around 10:40 a.m. on Tuesday, according to a Las Vegas police report.
North, 27, who plays Topper Thornton in the Netflix series "Outer Banks," allegedly punched a nurse, shoved another nurse in the face, and pushed a phlebotomist before he was struck in the head with a metal tray and subdued, according to police and hospital accounts.
North claimed he experienced a severe anxiety attack, which he initially thought was a heart attack, and that he has little memory of the incident. He also stated that tests for drugs and alcohol returned negative results.
North was charged with gross misdemeanour battery and three counts of assault on a protected person. He was detained by the police, handcuffed to a stretcher, and subsequently arrested for assault. He has since been released from custody on bond.
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Public reaction to the incident
> "Panic attacks don't make people violently attack others. What a loser. I hope they throw the book at him."
> "This, he's just a pathetic loser. [...] He's pathetic and I hope his judge banishes him to the shadow realm."
> "Rather than be mad, it saddens me when hospital staff notches another L.... story after story, year after year."
> "I have the utmost respect for healthcare workers and hospital staff," [...] "I have battled anxiety on and off for years and this was the most extreme panic attack I've ever had."
Some people also questioned the validity of North's claims, suggesting that he might be lying about the extent of his anxiety attack or using it as a legal defence to avoid charges. They also criticised the potential excusing of violence due to anxiety, with one commenter stating:
> "People who excuse violence because the assaulter was anxious have brain rot and their opinion should be disregarded entirely."
Others speculated about North's motives, with one person suggesting that the incident was "all a ploy by him to get another show/drama", referring to North's status as a "D-List celebrity".
Overall, the public reaction to the incident has been divided, with some expressing sympathy for North's mental health struggles while others condemned his actions and questioned his motives.
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Frequently asked questions
Austin North is an actor, known for his role as Topper Thornton in the Netflix series Outer Banks.
North was arrested for gross misdemeanour battery on February 13, 2024, for allegedly attacking hospital staff.
North allegedly punched a nurse in the head, shoved another nurse in the face, and pushed a phlebotomist.
North said he was “deeply upset” and that he was experiencing a severe anxiety attack, which he at first thought was a heart attack. He also said he has very little memory of the events.
Some people expressed disappointment and anger towards North, while others speculated that he was using his anxiety as an excuse or a ploy for attention.
