Texas ICU Nurse Fired After Allegedly Telling Cops ‘I’ll Let You Die’ During DWI Arrest
MAGNOLIA, TEXAS — An award-winning intensive care nurse from Houston has been fired from her hospital job after allegedly threatening to let police officers die if they ever needed her medical care during a DWI arrest last weekend.
According to the Magnolia Police Department, 35-year-old Crystal Tadlock — a former ICU nurse at Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital — was pulled over around 12:20 a.m. on October 11 for speeding at 66 mph in a 50 mph zone.
Bodycam footage captured Tadlock allegedly telling officers,
“I’m a f—ing nurse. When you come through my hospital, don’t worry, I’ll let you die. All your family members too — and this is all on recording.”
She then reportedly added, “Greater Heights, b—. Don’t go there.”
Nurse Threatened Officers, Made Racist Comments, Police Say
During the stop, officers noted a strong smell of alcohol, bloodshot eyes, and slurred speech, according to the arrest report obtained by Law&Crime.
After failing field sobriety tests, Tadlock allegedly became belligerent in the back of the squad car — threatening officers, using racist language, and boasting about her job.
“She made racist comments about my ethnicity and stated she’s going to be getting out of this because she is white,” one officer wrote in his report. “She said she had an issue with me because I was not white.”
Tadlock allegedly continued,
“You can’t speak straight because you have an accent from another country,” and later added, “You’re half-American.”
From Nursing Award Winner to Arrest
Tadlock had previously been recognized for her medical excellence, receiving The DAISY Award in 2021 — a national honor given to exceptional nurses.
At the time, the DAISY Foundation described her as:
“An exceptional ICU nurse who always goes above and beyond when providing care for patients, families, and colleagues.”
But her arrest has now cost her that career.
Memorial Hermann confirmed her termination, telling KTRK:
“Immediately upon learning of this incident, we took swift action to suspend the employee pending investigation. She has subsequently been terminated.”
Magnolia Police Chief Responds
Magnolia Police Chief Kyle Montgomery said Tadlock’s outburst was unacceptable, even under stress.
“I understand being emotional when you realize you’ve made a huge mistake that will land you in jail,” Montgomery told Law&Crime. “But taking your anger out on the officer is never acceptable. There’s no excuse for anyone to act like this.”
Tadlock allegedly repeated her death threats even after being taken to jail, telling detention staff she would “make sure they die” if they ever came to her hospital for treatment.
DWI Charge and Aftermath
Tadlock was charged with driving while intoxicated (DWI) and later released on bond. She claimed she had an “eye injury” that affected her driving and told police, “I’m allowed to speed.”
Police records show she admitted to coming from a concert at the Cynthia Woods Pavilion and claimed she was sober, despite officers observing signs of intoxication.
As of Wednesday, Tadlock’s nursing license remains under review, and state regulators may open a separate investigation into her conduct.
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