A 47-year-old woman in Mountain Brook, Alabama, is facing attempted murder charges for allegedly attacking a police officer with an 18-inch bayonet, just hours after leaving a psychiatric ward without authorization.
Vanessa Hirschowitz was arrested Tuesday.
Early that morning, shortly before the attack, a patrol officer spotted an 85-year-old woman walking down a street in pajamas and wearing one shoe, WTVM.com reports. The officer suspected that the elderly woman had been involved in a domestic incident, according to WIAT.com. He called for backup and drove the woman back to her house.
During a police search of that home, Hirschowitz sprung out from under a blanket, allegedly swinging a bayonet at one officer's head and neck. The officer deflected the weapon with his arm, according to police. After a scuffle, Hirschowitz was taken into custody.
The officer later received stitches for the injuries, AL.com reports.
Hirschowitz has since been charged with attempted murder, third-degree domestic violence and resisting arrest, according to WBRC.com.
Her attorney, Greg Yaghmai, told The Huffington Post that his client is currently at an in-patient psychiatric facility, where she is under lockdown.
Yaghmai told Alabama media that his client has a history of mental illness and had left the University of Alabama-Birmingham Psychiatric Ward without authorization just hours before the attack.
When asked if he thought the charges against his client were excessive, given her medical condition, Yaghmai declined to comment. "We'll be exploring all options for a defense," he said. "Certainly, her mental health will be a factor."
Yaghmai said that when his client came home, she mistook her mother for someone else. "It is important to understand Vanessa thought her mother was an impostor and didn't comprehend it was her mother,'' he said, according to Al.com.
The lawyer told HuffPost that Hirschowitz has no previous history of attacking her mother. He also said he did not know when she entered the UAB psychiatric ward or how long she had been there before leaving.
Last month, Hirschowitz was arrested in Lexington, Kentucky, after police said she was trying to sleep at an unnamed business establishment. Officers said when they asked her to leave, she was aggressive and claimed they "were not the real police" and that she was "not going to jail," according to WKYT.com. They said she tried to pull away from police as she was being arrested and hit an officer.
Yaghmai wouldn't comment on the earlier arrest or on the nature of his client's mental state, but he told HuffPost she has no issues with the police.
"The family is apologetic about this," he said. "But it could have been worse. They're grateful there were no serious injuries -- to the officer or Vanessa."
Tyler Greer, a spokesman for the UAB Psychiatric Ward, wouldn't comment on how Hirschowitz was able to leave or if the incident will lead to a change in security measures.
"Federal privacy laws prohibit us from sharing information about our patients and their care, and public comment on this matter is not appropriate," he told HuffPost. "Also, as a general rule and for the safety of our students, faculty, staff, patients and visitors, we do not discuss or disclose security measures."
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