March 28, 2024

via CNN: Police: Nurse, 51, kills intruder with bare hands

PORTLAND, Oregon (AP) — A nurse returning from work discovered an intruder armed with a hammer in her home and strangled him with her bare hands, police said.

Susan Kuhnhausen, 51, ran to a neighbor’s house after the confrontation Wednesday night. Police found the body of Edward Dalton Haffey 59, a convicted felon with a long police record.


Haffey, about 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, had convictions including conspiracy to commit aggravated murder, robbery, drug charges and possession of burglary tools. Neighbors said Kuhnhausen’s size — 5-foot-7 and 260 pounds — may have given her an advantage.

“Everyone that I’ve talked to says ‘Hurray for Susan,’ said neighbor Annie Warnock, who called 911.

“You didn’t need to calm her. She’s an emergency room nurse. She’s used to dealing with crisis.”

I have ticked off nurses before, and wondered if they could actually kill me.  Now I know.

hat tip to reader Andy

9 thoughts on “When Nurses Fight Back

  1. I’ve joked about colleagues earning a bilateral carotid massage (when they’ve increased my workload or given me undesirable tasks). Wonder if it would be effective if applied in a situation as this ER nurse encountered.
    Hope I never have to find out.
    Kudos to her. Career felon removed from circulation and no taxpayer dollars spent on a trial. But suspect that she will have some psychological issues to deal with and can only hope that she is not too traumatized and does not have long term PTSD.

  2. Strangling another human being to death is a bit like stabbing or beating them to death; it takes work, determination, and long enough to fully realize what it is you’re doing.

    Most veteran ER nurses I’ve known are tough as nails, and have few illusions about what happens on the dark side of life (facing ugly reality on a daily basis toughens one that way). I’d have to say, however, that this nurse wins the ER Nursing Ultimate Fighting Championship.

    Get her some counseling… can’t afford to lose a nurse like that.

  3. To paraphrase ?Henny Youngman? “That’s no lady, that’s my Nurse!”.

    I do hope she gets whatever support she needs, and I agree, we need her back at work.

  4. A doc I know in the Marines likes to say:

    “The training to save lives also makes me efficient at ending them”

    He’s a twisted but funny guy.

  5. Good for her. But please don’t make people think they can take 7veral blows to the head with a hammer, and the gloves worked to his disadvantage. People who knew him said He was close to 60 years of age & thats old for a man with a unhealthy lifestyle both in mind & body. Again good for her! but I simply do not believe that anyone can take several full hammer blows to the head by a healthy person! I’m sorry but it clouds the issue of the fact She did great and did society & taxpayers a service. I hope they put her husband away for a long time. They should let her get her hands on him!

  6. I’ve had a family member as a patient in the hospital this RN worked at. Good for her!

    I think I want a t-shirt that says “Don’t Even THINK About It, I’m An ER Nurse!”

    And someone needs to get their hands around that jerk of a soon-to-be ex’s throat. I’d hate to be the public defender who gets THAT case.

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