Background: Morehouse General Hospital in Bastrop, La. (Google Maps). Inset: Dustin Clark (Ouachita Parish Sheriff”s Office).
A Louisiana man who worked as a labor and delivery nurse is out of a job after he was accused of striking his own 5-month-old baby.
Dustin Clark, 30, was taken into custody on Tuesday by the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s deputies, a day after his friend brought his 5-month-old baby to a medical facility. As per court documents accessed by local NBC affiliate KTVE/KARD, Clark confessed to the police that on Sunday, his baby was becoming agitated during feeding and could not be calmed. He then admitted he “snapped” and allegedly hit the baby on the head.
When the baby was brought to Morehouse General Hospital in Bastrop, Louisiana, the next day, medical staff diagnosed the baby with a fractured skull.
A nurse at Morehouse General Hospital notified police about the infant’s injuries, leading deputies to locate Clark for questioning. As stated in the court documents, the child was Clark’s adopted baby. Clark, working as a labor and delivery nurse at St. Francis Hospital in Monroe, Louisiana at the time, informed police that the incident occurred while the baby was in a high chair during a meal.
Clark was attempting to feed the baby, who he mentioned to police had been crying persistently all day, and he sought to soothe the infant. At some juncture, Clark claimed to the authorities that he “snapped” and struck the baby in the face. He then asked a friend to visit to help diffuse the situation.
Per the court documents, the friend took the baby to a physician, who identified a serious injury and suggested the friend transport the baby to a hospital. After determining that the baby had sustained a parietal bone fracture on the left side of the skull, the infant was moved to a critical care center in Shreveport.
Clark faced arrest and was charged with domestic abuse battery and two counts of cruelty to juveniles. He was detained on Tuesday and subsequently released the following day upon posting a $15,000 bond.
The local ABC and CBS affiliate KNOE reported that St. Francis Hospital terminated Clark’s employment post-arrest. In a statement to KNOE, a representative for St. Francis Hospital stated, “Ensuring the safety and security of our patients, team members, and community stands as our premier concern. Our employee onboarding processes are extremely thorough, encompassing background verifications, multiple reference checks, and other nationally accredited best practices. At present, we are unable to provide further comments on the matter due to workplace privacy laws.”
