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Austin North, star of the hit Netflix series Outer Banks, has broken his silence following his arrest in Las Vegas on Tuesday for allegedly assaulting multiple hospital workers.
In an Instagram Story posted late Thursday evening, the 27-year-old I Didn’t Do It star attempted to explain the details of the incident that led to him in handcuffs, telling his three million followers that he was in the midst of a “severe anxiety attack,” which he had initially thought to be a heart attack.
“I am deeply upset by the events that took place in Las Vegas this past week. My friend drove me to the hospital because I thought I was having a heart attack. Several tests were taken, including blood, which came back negative for any drugs or alcohol in my system. I was having a severe anxiety attack,” the actor wrote.
According to the police report obtained by TMZ, the incident occurred in the emergency room of a UMC Hospital and cops spoke with multiple hospital employees who claimed North had attacked them unprovoked. The healthcare workers told the police that North came out of nowhere and allegedly began throwing punches at them, hitting one nurse in the head, shoving the face of another and pushing a phlebotomist into a table. In response, the phlebotomist reportedly used a tray to smack the actor over the head in self-defense, TMZ wrote of the details in the report.
Before officers were able to fully restrain him, North allegedly attacked another person nearby, although it’s unclear if this person was a hospital worker or a bystander. They finally detained him by using handcuffs to secure him to a stretcher.
North, who portrays Topper Thompson on Outer Banks, was promptly arrested for assault and booked for gross misdemeanor battery. He has since bonded out of custody.
ET reached out to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police and Clark County officials for comment.
In his address to fans, North said his memory of the incident is foggy and that as someone who has struggled with anxiety for his entire life, he hopes to use this as a learning opportunity and to help others who are struggling.
“I have very little memory of the events that day at the hospital. I have the utmost respect for healthcare workers and hospital staff,” he wrote. “I have battled anxiety on and off for years and this was the most extreme panic attack I’ve ever had. Going forward, I hope to shed light on this debilitating disorder and send hope to those who have also struggled.”
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