An 86-year-old woman awaiting treatment for bowel blockage at a Brooklyn hospital yesterday died after being punched by a fellow patient — for not engaging in “social distancing” amid the coronavirus, law enforcement sources told The Post on Sunday.
The death of Janie Marshall of Williamsburg appeared to be the first potential crime in the city sparked by fears over the deadly contagion.
Marshall was in the emergency room at the city-run Woodhull Medical Center when she was smacked in the face by a 32-year-old patient, who was awaiting psychiatric treatment and got out of her nearby bed to launch the unprovoked attack, sources said.
Marshall was knocked off her feet and cracked her head on the floor shortly after 2 p.m. Saturday, sources said.
Her attacker allegedly told a Health and Hospitals Corp. police officer that she did it because Marshall “didn’t stay more than 6 feet away.”