Social worker in critical condition after being stabbed by patient at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital: sheriff

SAN FRANCISCO — A stabbing Thursday afternoon at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital left a social worker in critical condition and hospital staff shaken, authorities said.

The victim, a 31-year-old University of California San Francisco social worker, was attacked by a suspect wielding a kitchen knife and suffered multiple stab wounds in the attack, according to the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office.

About 1:30 p.m., hospital staff had requested added security for a doctor who had received threats from a patient in the hospital’s Ward 86.

“While providing security for the doctor, our sheriff’s deputy heard a disturbance unfolding in the hallway involving the suspect, who was attacking a social worker,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement Thursday evening.

The deputy intervened and restrained the suspect. The victim’s injuries included wounds to the neck and shoulder. Medical staff performed lifesaving measures, including CPR, and the victim was taken to an operating room in critical condition.

Deputies recovered a 5-inch kitchen knife believed to have been used in the attack.

The suspect was identified as a 35-year-old man who was at the hospital for an appointment and had reportedly made threats to the doctor. He was taken into custody, the sheriff’s office said.

“Hospital staff and patients in the vicinity were understandably shaken, but there is no ongoing threat to the public,” the sheriff’s office said.

If you’re on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live