Mitchell Woman Facing Felony Charges After Allegedly Shoving Hospital Staff to Force Her Way into ER

A Mitchell woman was arrested early Monday morning after she allegedly tried to storm the emergency department at IU Health Bedford and physically assaulted a hospital staff member who blocked her path.

Lorene Deanne Honeycutt, 45, was taken into custody on June 29, 2026, by the Indiana University Health Department of Public Safety.

The Restricted Patient

The incident began around 3:00 a.m. inside the emergency department at IU Health Bedford, located at 2900 West 16th Street. Honeycutt's nephew was being held in one of the ER rooms under an emergency detention hold while awaiting transport by the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office to a psychiatric facility in Bloomington. Due to the nature of the hold, the patient was legally barred from having any visitors.

At approximately 3:04 a.m., Honeycutt approached the ER registration window. A hospital unit support technician monitoring the surveillance cameras spotted Honeycutt and immediately notified registration staff that she was not permitted in the emergency department.

The Encounter in the Hallway

The support technician stepped out into the main hallway to inform Honeycutt of the restriction. Upon being told she could not enter, Honeycutt allegedly confronted the employee and began aggressively walking toward him.

According to the probable cause affidavit, as the employee tried to back away, Honeycutt began repeatedly shoving him with both hands and grabbed his right wrist to push past him.

An IU Health police officer was inside the ER at the time, assisting a Bedford police officer on an unrelated matter, when the charge nurse rushed back to report that a woman was attempting to force her way into the secure medical area.

The Arrest

The responding officer intercepted Honeycutt near the nurse's station, where she was still actively shoving the technician in an attempt to bypass him. The officer pinned Honeycutt against the wall and secured her in handcuffs. The entire altercation was witnessed by multiple emergency room nurses and was captured on the hospital's internal surveillance system.

A Bedford police officer conducted a pat-down of Honeycutt's clothing, but no weapons or contraband were discovered.

Honeycutt was transported to the Lawrence County Security Center and turned over to corrections staff for booking. The case file has been submitted to the Lawrence County Prosecutor's Office for formal evaluation.

Preliminary Charges:

🔹 Battery on a Public Safety Official (Level 6 Felony)
🔹 Disorderly Conduct (Class B Misdemeanor)

Case Number: CR2026-011087
Arresting Officer: Officer James T. Harrington, IU Health Department of Public Safety

Disclaimer: All subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.