MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A 26-year-old woman arrested on Christmas Eve for allegedly punching a hospital nurse over racial bias was also wanted in connection with a carjacking incident from November 2023, authorities said.
Dashawna Williams, who has been diagnosed with mental health conditions, was being treated at Methodist South Hospital when she struck a nurse practitioner in the face with a closed fist, according to Memphis police. Williams reportedly admitted to hitting the nurse because she did not want to receive care from a white medical worker, police said.
Officers at the scene arrested Williams for assault. While in custody, authorities discovered an active warrant tied to a carjacking that occurred on Nov. 13, 2023, outside a convenience store on Prescott Street.
Court records state Williams approached a man sitting in a Nissan Altima and pretended to have a firearm by concealing her hand in her purse. She allegedly demanded the car and then drove away, later admitting to selling the vehicle to an unidentified individual for $40.
Surveillance footage and an ID card Williams left behind at the store led to her identification. However, charges of carjacking and use of a firearm in a felony were dismissed earlier this year due to lack of prosecution, records show.
The case highlights overlapping issues of mental health, crime, and gaps in legal accountability.