A man listing a Texas address who was arrested and charged with attacking staff at the Baxter County Detention Center and the psychiatric ward at Baxter Health has been found not fit to proceed.
The case of 22-year-old Serling Bruce Welborn was discussed during a session of Baxter County Circuit Court/Criminal Division Monday. Local officials are working with Welborn’s family to have him admitted to an out-of-state mental health treatment facility.
On November 25 last year, James Wallace, the public defender representing Welborn, filed notice that his client intended to rely on a defense of mental disease or defect.
The defense also asked the court to order a psychological evaluation to determine Welborn’s fitness to proceed. The exam was done March 11 and the not fit to proceed diagnosis was supplied to the court and filed March 18.
DETENTION CENTER INCIDENT
On the day of the detention center incident, a jailer noticed Welborn was bleeding from his right elbow. When Welborn was checked, he was alleged to have dug his fingernails into the open wound.
He is quoted as telling staff he did what he did “because I know you will have to come in here now.”
When jailers and others arrived to do a cell extraction, Wellborn began lashing out. He is reported to have hit a deputy three or four times.
A stun gun was used and Wellborn fell back and while he continued to resist, members of the jail staff and others were able to gain control of him and place him in a restraint chair.
Before the incident ended, Wellborn is alleged to have spit on an officer and a spit mask was placed on him.
While EMS personnel responded to the jail, Wellborn was said to have refused treatment for the wound on his elbow.
WELLBORN HAD LASHED OUT EARLIER
It is not the first time Wellborn has been jailed for lashing others.
He was accused of attacking a security officer in the psychiatric ward at Baxter Health October 16 last year.
He had entered a not guilty plea to charges of 2nd degree battery during an earlier court session.
THE BAXTER HEALTH INCIDENT
On October 16 last year, a Mountain Home police officer responded to a report that a security officer at the hospital had been attacked and struck several times in the face by Welborn.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the security officer had earlier broken up a fight between Welborn and another patient.
The security officer reported that when a nurse brought an ice pack to Welborn, the patient lunged at the officer and began “throwing closed fist punches” to his face.
According to a report on the incident, the security officer reported he had been hit on the left side of his face at least three times.
The blows had resulted in “visible injury.”
The security officer was able to subdue Welborn by taking him down onto a chair in the room while awaiting assistance from others. Welborn was eventually placed in a restraint chair and a spit hood was put in place.
Hospital personnel told police that Welborn was not on an active treatment plan and that he had voluntarily checked himself into the hospital a few days prior to the incident.
Welborn was transported to the Baxter County Detention Center.
According to the report, video footage of the incident was reviewed and showed Welborn grab the ice pack the nurse had brought, then lunged at the security officer, striking him multiple times in the face.
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