Man with violent past charged with attacking nurse, police officer at a Plymouth hospital

PLYMOUTH, Mass. — A convicted criminal with a violent past has been charged with attacking a nurse and a police officer at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Plymouth.

Michael Carlson, 27, of Kingston, is charged with two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery on ambulance personnel, assault and battery on a police officer, assault and battery and trespassing on railroad tracks.

Kingston Police said shortly before 1 a.m. on Sunday they received a 911 hang-up call at the home Carlson lives at with his parents. When police called back, the person reported no emergency, but a man could be heard yelling and swearing in the background.

Officers responded to the home on Pembroke Street and “heard something in the woods,” according to the police report.

Police said Carlson’s father answered the door and told the officers his two sons had gotten into a verbal argument and then left the home. The father noted Carlson was on probation and was supposed to remain in the house.

The officers ended up contacting Carlson’s brother by phone. The brother said he was the person who called 911, but hung up because he didn’t have a crime to report.

The brother said Carlson had posted on Facebook about beating up the family dog and punching their father. He said he went to the home to speak with Carlson about what happened.

Police said the brother told them Carlson “beat the [expletive] out of me” which is when he called 911. The brother said he hung up on the 911 operator because he didn’t want his parents to lose the bail money they had produced for Carlson on a previous matter.

Police said around 1:15 a.m. the probation department’s electronic monitoring service was notified Carlson had removed his court-ordered GPS device in the woods near his home.

“It would appear that Michael ran from the scene as officers arrived and while officers were on scene, Michael cut his GPS off while hiding,” the police report states.

The probation department subsequently issued a warrant for Carlson’s arrest.

Police returned to Carlson’s home around 8:30 a.m. with the arrest warrant and to find the GPS device he had removed.

Carlson’s father answered the door. The officer noted the father had dried blood in his mustache. The officer said the father told him it was “from last night” but he refused to cooperate with the investigation as to what occurred.

“It appears reasonable Michael punched his father, as he indicated in his Facebook post,” the police report states.

Police said the father told them Carlson came home earlier in the morning. A search of the home revealed he wasn’t home. They believe he ran into the woods.

A police K-9 got a strong track and led officers to Carlson, who jumped a fence and was located on MBTA railroad tracks.

Carlson led police on a chase throughout the woods. Police said because of Carlson’s long and violent history, they requested back-up from multiple police departments, K-9 units and the Massachusetts State Police Air Wing.

Police found Carlson near the railroad tracks and took him into custody shortly before 10 a.m. They said they also located his GPS device on Pembroke Street with the strap cut.

“Carlson’s hand was swollen, consistent with punching something, his ankle was injured, consistent with jumping from a window or fence and his hands had cuts, consistent with jumping the railroad fence,” the police report states. “Carlson also had facial injuries, consistent with the alleged fight he got in with the family dog (per his Facebook post).”

Carlson was taken to a hospital to be treated for his injuries and then returned to the police station.

“While in custody, he was belligerent over the remainder of Sunday and Monday,” according to the police report. “Carlson at times threatened officers, banged on cell doors and threatened to fight officers for things like selecting pizza for his meal which he felt was ‘disrespectful,’ etc.”

Police said Carlson requested medical care for his hand around 12:45 p.m. Monday. He was taken to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Plymouth with a police officer providing prisoner watch.

“While at the hospital, Carlson became belligerent,” the police report states.

Police said Carlson suddenly charged at a nurse because the nurse asked him to be quiet and stop disturbing the emergency room.

The officer intervened.

Police said Carlson punched the nurse several times, bit the nurse in the shoulder and swung a chair at the nurse, striking him. He also punched the officer and struck him with the chair several times.

Staff was able to get Carlson under control until more police officers arrived.

Both the nurse and the officer received treatment for their injuries at the hospital. The officer reported hamstring, wrist and facial injuries.

“Our goal is to create an environment that is safe for all, and while we cannot comment on specifics, employee health and safety is of paramount concern,” Teresa Herbert, a spokesperson for Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Plymouth, told Boston 25 News in a statement.

Carlson was brought back to the police station “where he continued to be uncooperative and made statements that when he finally gets sent to the Plymouth House of Correction, he intends on murdering whoever his cell mate is,” the police report states.

Police said in the past several years, Carlson has been convicted of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery on a family member during separate incidents with different victims.

Police said Carlson has several open cases from the past year alone. A Plymouth Superior Court grand jury indicted him on rape, attempted murder, assault and battery on a family member and other charges. The court found him dangerous and he was held for 120 days before being released on $10,000 cash bail.

Police said within a month of being released, Carlson was charged in Plymouth District Court with aggravated assault and battery causing serious bodily injury and attempted murder on a separate victim. The court found him dangerous and ordered him held for another 120 days.

“While in custody, Carlson was charged with violating a restraining order, which included threatening to have the first victim killed,” the police report states.

When Carlson’s second dangerousness 120-day time frame ended, he was released on $50,000 cash bail and GPS, including house arrest. Police noted Carlson was able to come up with the money for bail despite claiming to be “indigent.”

“Now, approximately a month after being released on that matter, we have this new violent matter when Carlson has again violated court orders, fled from police and assaulted multiple people,” the police report states.

Police said during a phone call with his mother while in custody on Monday, Carlson said he’ll always take his chances and run from the police.

Police said Carlson’s mother, Christine Carlson, is charged as an accessory after the fact stemming from her alleged actions during one of her son’s open cases. Police said Michael Carlson called his mother while in custody and pretended she was his attorney, asking her to delete evidence of his crimes.

“Michael Carlson has shown through his past convictions and through multiple occasions within the last year alone that he is a repeat violent offender who now has at least five victims of his assaults just this year alone, some with very serious injuries,” Sergeant Detective Michael Skowyra wrote in his report. “Michael has on multiple occasions served his 120 days dangerousness then raised large bail amounts, gotten released, escalated his behaviors, violated court orders, victimized the community, attempted to hide his crimes and shown complete disregard to any court order all while his cases have remained open. Michael is a serious flight risk and safety risk to the community. I respectfully request the court consider these facts when appropriate relative to determining the release of Michael Carlson.”

During his arraignment Tuesday, a judge ordered Carlson held for a competency hearing. The judge revoked Carlson’s bail on his previous cases and ordered him held on $150,000 cash bail. His next court date is November 2nd.

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