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This article was published 21/7/2011 (3358 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The victim of Saturday afternoon's alleged assault by a cleaner at Concordia Hospital says the woman charged was just being a Good Samaritan and he doesn't want her to lose her job.

"She was helping me," said Patrick Beardy, 25. "That girl was being nice."

Beardy, who was arrested earlier that day following a domestic disturbance, had a bloody mouth after being Tasered three times, he said. The last time he was zapped, he said he fainted and fell face-first on the pavement.

The arresting officers took him to Concordia Hospital for treatment.

"After getting Tasered three times, my lips were white... I was... dry. It was hot. I was lucky she brought me water."

Beardy said he was in police custody, wearing restraints and in rough shape. That didn't stop a hospital employee from trying to ease his discomfort: "This woman was doing her job, cleaning out the garbage."

She went over to him, he said.

"My mouth was all bloody from when I fainted and I slammed my face on the ground," he said in a phone interview with the sound of children playing in the background.

The worker got some mouthwash to clean up the blood and some water to quench his thirst, he said.

Police issued a news release earlier this week saying the woman was spotted trying to administer "an unknown substance" to the man.

Later that day, a Winnipeg police spokeswoman said it was likely mouthwash.

"She had two small bottles of coloured liquid that might have been mouthwash and she was in possession of an oral swab," Const. Natalie Aitken said earlier.

When asked if the woman was trying to clean out the victim's mouth she said, "It's not something we're ruling out." The police did not respond to a request for comment late Thursday.

"She was trying to help me with the mouthwash," Beardy said of the hospital worker charged with assault. "She never told me to swallow it." Beardy said she used mouthwash and a small sponge to clean up his bloody mouth ---- and she did it in good humour.

"She said 'You want a sponge bath?' I was like 'What?' She was kidding."

Beardy said he was parched and his lips were swollen.

"She said 'You want water?' I said 'OK'... She was nice enough to give me water."

She gave him some water in a Dixie cup, Beardy said. She told him if he wanted more, to ask for it, and said incredulously to the police "You never gave him water?" Beardy recalled. The police arrested her after checking with hospital staff and discovering she was a cleaner, not a medical professional.

Police said in the news release Monday that the woman's actions "aroused the suspicion" of police officers. They summoned a nearby medical staff member who told police the woman treating the man in custody was an employee of the hospital but not a medical professional.

Police arrested Teresa Sawatzky, 41. She has been charged with one count of assault with a weapon. The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority said earlier she has been put on administrative leave but declined to comment further because of the police investigation.

Beardy said when the officers arrested her at the hospital, he didn't speak up on her behalf.

"I'm minding my own business." He wasn't about to get into another confrontation that day. "The guy that Tased me was really rough," he said. "I got up from my sleep and he started Tasing me.

"It's the most painful thing I've ever felt in my life," said Beardy, who has an outstanding assault charge and was charged Saturday with obstruction and resisting a peace officer. He is to appear in court Aug. 17.

Beardy said he hopes Sawatzky doesn't end up in trouble with the law or lose her job for being kind.

"She didn't have to lose her job like that." He said he wants to thank her. And, for what it's worth, Beardy said he would write a letter supporting her.

"I gotta meet her first."

Sawatzky declined to comment.

-- with file from Jason Bell

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca