By Scott Brooks

Steven Thornhill of Knoxville arrived at the University of Tennessee Medical Center by ambulance late in the evening of June 16.

Thornhill, 51, had another of what he calls seizures because of an automobile accident in 1979.The seizures cause him to become unresponsive and sometimes incoherent.

When it happened on June 16, his wife called an ambulance.

The fact that Thornhill arrived at the hospital is not disputed by anyone at UT Medical Center.

But what happened over the next seven or so hours is a matter of debate - and a major issue for the Thornhills.

“They wanted to give me medicine to dope me up and I said no,” Thornhill said.

His wife, Teresa, said the medical staff inserted an IV into his arm but he refused sedation.

“That’s our right,” she said.

Both Thornhills said they told nurses to remove the IV entirely, but the staff refused.

“We asked them four times to remove it but they said no,” Teresa said.

That’s when Steven unhooked the IV himself and left with his wife and son. The plastic port for the IV was still inserted in his arm, however.

When the family got to the front door of the hospital, they were confronted by security guards.

“When I saw the cops it flipped me into another world and I took off running,” Steven said.

He made it into the parking lot, where he was tackled by the guards and handcuffed.

“They threatened to pepper spray us for trying to help,” Teresa said.

The family was taken back inside and held for several hours.

The incident left Steven with bruises from the handcuffs and abrasions on his elbows from where he was tackled to the ground.

Teresa Thornhill said the security officers told them it is illegal to leave the hospital with an IV port still attached.

The misdemeanor citation issued to Steven reads, “Officer attempted to stop patient from taking property.”

But Teresa disagrees.

“I figure when it goes into your arm, it’s legally yours,” she said.

“They’re sure going to charge you for it.”

A spokesperson for the hospital, Jim Ragonese, said he could not discuss specifics of the case because of patient confidentiality laws.

“I can tell you that protecting the health and safety of our patients and visitors is the top priority. Our staff is trained to make decisions in accordance with that goal,” Ragonese said.

The Thornhills admit they may not have handled the issue in the best way, but they contend there is no excuse for the way they were treated.

“We just don’t want them to get away with this,” Teresa said. “They can’t treat people that way.”

They have contacted an attorney and are telling their story to state and federal elected officials in hopes that someone will take notice.

“You can bet I will never allow anyone to take us to that hospital again,” she said.