By Brandi Makuski

Special for Hub City Times

STEVENS POINT —  A Marshfield man is in hot water with police after he allegedly threw a cup of bloody water at officers while being treated at Ministry St. Michael’s Hospital in Stevens Point.

James Cattanach, 62, was found at 8:33 p.m. on Jan. 19 lying in the middle of the road at Division and Ellis Streets in Stevens Point after a witness called 911. When police arrived two minutes later, they found Cattanach, who was already wanted on two warrants for unrelated offenses, “highly intoxicated” and took him into custody.

Police took Cattanach to Ministry St. Michael’s for treatment of wounds to his head and face sustained before law enforcement arrived. It was not immediately clear how Cattanach came to be lying in the road.

According to the criminal complaint, he became combative and verbally abusive, calling officers “stupid” and trying to leave the hospital several times, even though an emergency room doctor said his injuries could have been life-threatening. Officers had to physically prevent Cattanach from leaving several times.

As Cattanach sat on the hospital bed, he had been drinking water from a plastic cup, which had dried blood on its rim from an injury on Cattanach’s mouth and lips. Officers noticed the water had become tainted an amber color from the dried blood. Cattanach threw the water at two officers in the ER, which came into contact with officers’ faces and lips.

Both officers cleaned up with soap and water and then handcuffed Cattanach to the bed until he was medically cleared.

Cattanach faces two counts of felonious throwing or discharging bodily fluids at a public safety worker, each of which carries a maximum penalty of up to three and a half years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines.

Cattanach returns to court for his pretrial conference on May 23.