Background: Baptist Health Richmond hospital in Richmond, Kentucky (Google Maps). Inset: Steven Davis (Madison County Detention Center).
In a disturbing case from Kentucky, a young father stands accused of abusing his toddler son within the confines of a hospital. Authorities allege that Steven Davis, just 20 years old, attempted to silence his child’s cries by forcefully inserting his fingers into the boy’s throat.
Steven Davis now faces serious charges, specifically first-degree criminal abuse of a child aged 12 or under. According to Madison County jail records, reviewed by Law & Crime, Davis was taken into custody and booked into the Madison County Detention Center on Thursday.
The grim events reportedly unfolded at Baptist Health Richmond hospital in Richmond, a city situated approximately 30 miles southeast of Lexington, on February 4. Davis was there with his 1-year-old son while his fiancée received treatment in the hospital’s Clinical Decision Unit. This section of the hospital is designated for emergency mental health services, as described by the facility.
Authorities recount that the situation escalated when the toddler wandered out of their hospital room. Davis allegedly responded by aggressively dragging the child back by his arm, a scene that deeply troubled the hospital staff. Witnesses claim Davis continued this aggressive behavior, dragging the boy around the room, twisting his arm, and even slamming him into a chair at one point.
The tension in the room seemed to rise further when Davis reportedly attempted to feed his son with a bottle. When the child cried in response, Davis allegedly hurled the bottle across the room in frustration. In a shocking turn of events, as the child’s cries persisted, Davis is accused of using a blanket and his fingers to forcefully silence his son by pushing them into the child’s mouth and throat. This action allegedly caused the boy to gag and resulted in him hitting his head against a chair.
As the child continued crying, the defendant pushed a blanket and his fingers inside the child’s mouth and down his throat, the criminal citation said, adding that the action caused the boy to gag and hit his head on a chair.
Richmond police officers investigated the incident, reportedly reviewing surveillance footage provided by the hospital. Davis was arrested and booked into jail.
The defendant was released on Friday after posting a $10,000 bond, the Madison County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office told Law&Crime, adding that he is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Wednesday.
