Robert Joseph Nettles
A man with HIV has been arrested after police said he spit on a hospital worker, who was trying to restrain him.
Robert Joseph Nettles, 29, of LaFayette, Ga., was charged with criminal exposure to HIV.
In the incident on Wednesday, police said Nettles was in Erlanger Hospital for treatment of seizures. He tried to get out of bed, and hospital personnel were having trouble getting him back in bed.
Police said Nettles began cursing a male worker and calling him names. He tried to hit him in the face, but the worker blocked the hit.
Nettles then brought up his knee and kicked the hospital worker in the stomach.
When efforts continued to get him into restraints, he spit on the worker in the face.
A mask was then put on Nettles so he could not spit on anyone else.