ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Dozens of health care workers packed a St. Louis County courtroom in Clayton Tuesday.
They demanded justice for two employees who were stabbed while on the job at SSM Health DePaul Hospital in Bridgeton.
"Just a couple hours difference and it could've been one of us. Any different day, it could've been any one of us, so I think it relates a lot to home. It hits really close to home," DePaul Hospital emergency room nurse Chelsey Childress said.
Jimissa Rivers is accused of stabbing an emergency room nurse and a paramedic at DePaul Hospital on July 11.
The paramedic, Kayla McMahan spoke at the hearing to reduce Rivers' $2 million bond on Tuesday. Judge Amanda McNelley decided to keep Rivers in custody with no option of bonding out.
"I couldn't feel safe, knowing that if she was potentially given a smaller bond or bonded out that she could be out on the streets," McMahan said.
The other victim's statement was read out loud in court. She said the suspect severed her carotid artery, said she can't speak and doesn't know if she'll be able to work again.
McMahan was stabbed in the back and neck.
"I'm not out of the woods yet. I have a concussion still. I still have to make sure that I'm breathing OK and that my lungs are fully inflating otherwise I have to possibly get a chest tube," McMahan said.
Childress and a couple dozen other health care employees packed the courtroom in support of their colleagues.
"I think this has been a decades-long issue. I think the health care system has a giant swiss cheese hole in it that is a part of security," Childress said. "A number of these people have been physically assaulted as well, including myself."
Judge Amanda McNelley made her decision to keep Rivers in custody with no option of bonding out after hearing from the witnesses.
"It's a victory for sure, because now I can focus on my safety, my well-being, my health, knowing that she's remaining behind bars. My coworkers can feel safe knowing that this attacker won't be coming back to our hospital, because this changed everything for us," McMahan said.
The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office charged Rivers with two counts of Assault 1st Degree, a Class A Felony and two counts of Armed Criminal Action.
A grand jury will decide whether Rivers will be indicted before her preliminary hearing scheduled for Aug. 15.
DePaul Hospital added a metal detector and a 24-hour security guard to the emergency department.