Man allegedly strikes woman with a gun while visiting a patient in a Morganton hospital

MORGANTON, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A man has been charged for allegedly striking a woman in the head with a handgun while visiting a patient in a hospital, according to the Morganton Public Safety Department.

Around 9:20 on Sunday, July 20, officers responded to UNC Health Blue Ridge on S. Sterling Street about an assault on a woman. UNC Health Security told officers of the suspect’s last known location, as he was seen exiting the front of the hospital and walking down from the parking deck.

Security lost sight of the man, later identified as 44-year-old Jason Scott Inman, and a perimeter was set up around the campus to search for the suspect, officials said.

The investigation revealed that Inman and the victim were both visiting the same patient when the altercation took place. Inman allegedly drew a handgun and pointed it at the woman while threatening her.

Officials said he then hit the woman in the head with the handgun, causing injuries that required treatment. Inman fled the hospital and was found at his home on Oak Hill School Road in Lenoir with help from the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office.

Inman was reportedly booked into the Caldwell County Jail under a $150,000 secured bond for:

• Felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill
• Felony assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury
• Misdemeanor assault by pointing a gun
• Misdemeanor communicating threats
• Misdemeanor carrying a concealed weapon
• Misdemeanor going armed to the terror of the public