‘Most manipulative man.’ Ex-WA medical worker guilty in abortion-pill case

A former Gig Harbor nurse practitioner has pleaded guilty to sneaking pills into his girlfriend last year in an attempt to cause her to miscarry and to trying to silence her from speaking to authorities. David Benjamin Coots, 43, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault, tampering with a witness and fourth-degree assault. He wore a blue dress shirt with a tie as Superior Court Judge Pro Tempore James Orlando sentenced him to one year and a day in prison, which the defense and prosecutors agreed to recommend. He also was ordered to have no contact with the victim for 10 years. The sentencing range if Coots went to trial would’ve been 13-17 months in prison, according to the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Coots initially was charged in March 2024 with third-degree rape, second-degree assault, tampering with a witness and five counts of violation of a court order. Case details The News Tribune first reported that Coots was the victim’s primary-care provider, and they developed a romantic relationship in fall 2023. Coots was married but told the woman he was in the process of divorcing. When the woman told Coots she was pregnant, he acted supportive, according to the victim. They had consensual sex on Jan. 27 where he put Misoprostol/ Cytotec pills inside her so she would miscarry, prosecutors wrote in charging documents. Coots was an advanced registered nurse practitioner at MultiCare Gig Harbor Medical Park. His license was suspended in April 2024 by the state Board of Nursing until his legal issues are resolved, The News Tribune reported. After being informed of Coots’ guilty plea, the board is working to verify the details of his conviction and sentence, Anthony Partridge, assistant director of policy for the WA Board of Nursing, wrote to the News Tribune in an email Tuesday. “Given the severity of the crimes and their direct connection to the individual’s role and responsibilities as a nurse, the Board intends to request that the Health Law Judge lift the stay and pursue revocation of both Mr. Coots’ RN and ARNP licenses,” Partridge wrote. “This process will include amending the existing charges to include a felony conviction under RCW 18.130.180(17).” Coots’ license will remain suspended, and the legal process could take months. The woman reported to police that she went to an emergency room where more medication was found inside her. She suffered abnormal bleeding and stomach pain for three days. When she took a pregnancy test, it came out negative. Documents show a doctor told her the bleeding could have been from a possible miscarriage. The doctor could not confirm whether there was a pregnancy or miscarriage. Prosecutors also said that before a no-contact order was in place, Coots tried to pay the woman off so she would not report him to police. Coots’ defense team has argued, including during his plea hearing, that the woman was never pregnant, so she could not have miscarried. The defense argued that based on a conclusion from a board-certified doctor in obstetrics and gynecology the team hired. After a restraining order was in place, Coots allegedly violated the order by emailing the woman multiple times and showing up at the her brother’s home with flowers, a letter and copy of her house key. Coots’ wife, Melissa Coots pleaded guilty in June 2024 to attempted witness tampering for trying to pay off the girlfriend, a woman in her 30’s, to not go to the authorities. A judge imposed a two-year deferred sentence, meaning she has to maintain law-abiding behavior before the charge is dismissed, according to a News Tribune report.

‘Do not fall for his good boy act’ The former medical worker appeared for his plea hearing the morning of July 11 in Pierce County Superior Court. Coots entered the courtroom with a smile as his family and friends, including Melissa Coots, walked in behind him. His loved ones took up two rows of seats in the gallery.

During the hearing, the woman who accused Coots of assault told the judge that deciding to come forward to speak out against the defendant has been “humiliating.” She said she has been “trashed” by her community, the defendant and his family. The woman detailed how Coots pursued her for months and that at first it was off-putting because he was her medical provider. She said it was the “sweet gestures” that won her over. “I was reluctant to allow any man into our lives. I did not know he was married. He did eventually tell me that he was technically still married. I ended things between us. However, he wanted me back over with his explanation that they had been separated,” she said. The woman said that after she told Coots she was pregnant and he was supporting her, she believed she’d have the family life she dreamed of for her and her daughter from another relationship. “He’d been making promises to me, showering me with assurances, but he was plotting to assault me,” the woman said. She also described the aftermath of his using a prescription he wrote for himself in an attempt to make her miscarry. “I spent three days at home, unable to eat, vomiting, cramping and bleeding so much that at times I had to sit and remain in the shower. I was scared and trying to hide it all from my daughter,” she said. “David’s concern was only that he silence me.” The woman spoke about how Coots tried to contact her even after the court implemented no-contact orders on her behalf. She said at one point he requested they meet in a secluded location. She alleged he told her they could get her pregnant again. The woman made a plea to the judge during her statement, “Please, your honor, do not fall as his good boy act. He is the most manipulative person I’ve ever met.” David Coots, defense make statements When asking for Orlando to follow the agreed sentencing recommendation, Coots’ attorney, Dawn Farina, described the defendant as an upstanding member of the community who served the country in the U.S. Army. “He’s married. He has five young children under the age of 10. He’s never been in trouble with the law before,” she said. “We are not here today to attack [the victim], but it needs to be clear that some of the statements that [she] made before the court is just simply not true.” While saying she did not excuse Coots’ actions, Farina said the defense believes the woman was not pregnant when she went to the emergency room. “What he did is absolutely unthinkable. He panicked, and he did something completely out of character for him,” she said. “Mr. Coots has lost a lot. He almost lost his family. He lost his career. He lost his good standing in the community. He lost the ability to provide for his family.” Several letters of support for Coots were submitted to the court by his friends and family. Many letters described how the legal case against him has affected him and his family. In one letter by Melissa Coots, she said the affair was out of character for him and alleged the woman faked her pregnancy. In his statement, David Coots was tearful and emotional as he apologized to his family, friends and the victim. “I do take full responsibility for my actions, and I hope all people affected can find peace, closure and a sense of safety. I acted in a manner contradicting my own morals,” he said. Coots said after he completes his incarceration, he hopes to get certified in counseling “to give back” and “to help others.” Before Orlando imposed his sentence, he said that while Coots has been “punished significantly,” he broke his vows of marriage, and, as a medical provider, his oath to first do no harm. “Sometimes your character is not when people are watching us — it’s what you do when people aren’t watching,” Orlando said. “This is one of those cases where your public persona was not the persona that you were involved with with this victim, and as a direct result of that, everybody’s been damaged.”

He kills his unborn baby, gets only a year in jail. No child support and will probably get his nursing license back.

1 posted on 07/16/2025 7:30:12 AM PDT by Morgana

I would hire him.

He wore a blue dress shirt and a tie. Said it right there. He can kill all the kids he wants at my hospital. It’s legal.

2 posted on 07/16/2025 10:58:16 AM PDT by If You Want It Fixed - Fix It

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794