Young dentist 'stabbed in face' by former patient set to lose one of her eyes
A young dentist who was allegedly stabbed in the face by a former patient at her practice fears she is likely to lose her eye.
On February 7, one of Dr Katherine ‘Katie’ Tran's colleagues heard a loud noise and turned to see Sharon Stewart standing over the dentist with a three-inch blade knife, according to police. Stewart was arrested for wielding a knife in the 32-year-old's office by
Tran’s colleague heard her say “I got stabbed in the face” as she rushed into her office and locked the door as blood streamed down her face. A further two employees were targeted in 55-year-old Stewart’s frenzy, one woman screamed “She is crazy – she is trying to stab me,” alleged police.
Stewart fled from Tran’s practice in Lousiana but police eventually apprehended the woman after asking around the local neighbourhood. Stewart was then detained and jailed on counts of attempted second-degree murder and aggravated assault. Stewart’s bail hearing on Thursday, February 8, saw the prosecutor say Tran had not only been stabbed in her left eye but also the right side of her neck.
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Stewart has a back-log of alleged offences and faces being held without bond (Getty Images)The prosecutor added Tran will be likely to lose the wounded eye. It is unclear to what extent this will affect her profession at this stage. It was also reported that Stewart was wanted for the additional allegations that she had tried to set alight to a man’s home on January 31. Stewart was also charged with battery and arson for this case after she attacked the man with a hammer and beat him.
Stewart has also received a restraining order prohibiting her from going near a woman who was followed into a pharmacy after Stewart confronted the mother and her daughters in a car park. Stewart accused the woman of stealing her identity and food stamps and promised to come after her family “when the time was right.” Stewart will now be held without bond until February 15 earliest.
Stewart’s relationship with Tran is not set out in court records however Tran’s sister Carolyn confirmed that Stewart was a former patient of her sister’s yet declined to comment any further. A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help Tran raise funds for her recovery adding the woman had been “assaulted and stabbed multiple times by a patient she was treating”.
Dr Linda Cao, president of the New Orleans Dental Association (NOAD), said the dentist’s injury should start a discussion regarding healthcare workers’ safety regarding walk-in appointments as she was under the impression Stewart did not have a scheduled time with Tran.
Cao said the NOAD would provide Tran with any support and counseling she needed. She added: “As a young doctor, my hope is she can regroup from that. Getting that sense of security back for her – I think that’s more important than anything else.”
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