18-year-old patient charged with stabbing central NY nurse while high on psychedelic mushrooms

Police: Patient high on mushrooms stabs NY nurse

CORTLAND, N.Y. — Authorities say an 18-year-old patient high on psychedelic mushrooms stabbed a nurse in the chest with a pocket knife during an examination at a central New York hospital.

Alex Stephens of Freeville was charged with felony assault and criminal possession of a weapon after the incident at 1:30 a.m. Wednesday at Cortland Regional Medical Center. He was arraigned in Cortland City Court and jailed without bail.

Police say the 53-year-old male nurse is in guarded condition with internal bleeding.

Police say Stephens had ingested hallucinogenic psilocybin (sy-luh-SY’-buhn) mushrooms while visiting friends at Tompkins Cortland Community College.

Authorities did not know whether Stephens had a lawyer.