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 employee 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.”

An online fundraiser released by unions representing health care workers and nurses at UPMC Altoona identified the employee by his first name only: Travis.

AFSCME Local 691 and SEIU Healthcare PA issued a joint statement Tuesday calling on the health system to increase safety measures.

“Unfortunately, we were appalled by this attack, but we were not surprised,” the unions said in the statement.

They asked UPMC to investigate safety protocols and if anything could have prevented the attack. They also asked for panic alarms in patient care areas, metal detectors at entrances, an increased security presence with faster response times and signs notifying hospital visitors that assaulting a health care worker is a felony, among other requests..

“There is a mental health crisis in our region and across the country, and hospital workers are on the front lines,” the statement said. “We are the ones who regularly bear the verbal and physical abuse from patients who too often do not have adequate mental health care and support. When we are severely understaffed, it aggravates patients’ frustrations and leaves us unable to adequately de-escalate dangerous situations or respond to them when they happen.”

By Tuesday afternoon, the fundraiser had brought in more than $14,000 toward a $22,000 goal.

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