Attack on UPMC Altoona employee causes cracked skull, brain bleed

A Blair County man is in prison after what UPMC officials deemed a “horrific attack” on one of their employees in Altoona.

A patient care technician in the UPMC Altoona emergency department was attacked on Saturday, according to a statement released by UPMC.

Bradley S. Lloyd, 40, of Tyrone was arrested and charged with three felony counts of aggravated assault, 11 counts of simple assault, resisting arrest and other charges related to the incident.

Police said Lloyd, in an attempt to leave the hospital, assaulted the technician, hitting him in the head and face so violently that a CT scan revealed a cracked skull and brain bleed, according to a criminal complaint. The man also suffered a broken tooth, hematomas and multiple lacerations. He was flown by medical helicopter to UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh.

Police found Lloyd and detained him with the threat of a Taser until he complied and was taken into custody and medically sedated.

After leaving the hospital, Lloyd was arraigned, denied bail and taken to Blair County Prison. He also was wanted for a probation violation.

A preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 12 in Judge Daniel DeAntonio’s court in Altoona. An attorney for Lloyd was not listed in court records.

UPMC officials did not identify the victim of the attack.

“We are incredibly grateful for the swift, courageous response of our UPMC Police and Emergency Department teams, whose actions prevented further harm and ensured our colleague received immediate care,” hospital officials said. “We are grateful for their quick action and bravery.”