A nurse from Wisconsin accused of amputating a man’s foot without permission has avoided jail time after pleading no contest in court.
According to a report by KSTP, Mary K. Brown, a registered nurse, made the plea to negligently abusing a patient. The outlet explains that Brown faced two other charges: intentionally causing great bodily harm and mayhem, and physically abusing an elder person. The court dismissed both as part of the no contest plea.
Police initially arrested the nurse in 2022 after she reportedly amputated a man’s foot at a nursing home. The outlet reveals that the man was at the establishment because his foot was suffering from necrosis after “prolonged frostbite.”
A Pierce County medical examiner reportedly noticed the missing foot during an autopsy and notified the authorities. The man’s foot was allegedly still attached with “several inches of tissue” before Brown removed it on May 27, 2022. She reportedly did so without consent or a doctor’s order.
Court documents confirm that Brown acted without consulting a physician, amputating the patient’s right foot. The complaint notes that the nurse “had practiced outside the scope of nursing practice.”
The Man’s Family Believes The Nurse Escaped Justice
According to Pierce County Journal, witnesses say the nurse joked about putting the amputated foot in a taxidermy display. Following her plea, the court ordered Brown to pay $443 in court costs and comply with any discipline imposed on her nursing license. She will not face any time behind bars.
The outlet reveals the man’s identity as 62-year-old Doug McFarland. His sister reportedly explained he was suffering from a drinking problem. His foot was compromised after he passed out in the snow. She blasted the verdict, saying, “Just to get a slap on the wrist and then to be let go, you’ve got to be kidding me. I hope she never works as a nurse again. I didn’t expect that, and I had to walk out of work before I lost it. You’re expecting justice, and that never happened.”
The Pierce County Journal notes that Brown no longer works at the facility. However, an employee at the home reportedly said she handed in her resignation before the incident and worked her notice period.