'Outer Banks' Star Austin North Speaks Out Following Las Vegas Arrest

Outer Banks star Austin North is speaking out after being arrested Tuesday for allegedly assaulting multiple hospital workers. The 27-year-old actor, who plays Topper Thompson on the Netflix hit, took to his Instagram Story Thursday to share his side of the story, telling his followers he was "deeply upset" at what had happened while he was in the midst of a "severe anxiety attack" he initially thought was 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," North wrote on his Story.

North's arrest happened in the emergency room of a UMC Hospital, according to a police report obtained by TMZ, after the actor is accused of attacking multiple hospital employees unprovoked, throwing punches, hitting one nurse in the head, shoving the face of another and pushing a phlebotomist into a table. 

North was reportedly hit in the head with a tray in self-defense by the phlebotomist and managed to attack another person before officers were able to restrain him using handcuffs and a stretcher. North was then taken to jail, where he was booked for gross misdemeanor battery before ultimately bonding out.

North said in his statement that his memory of what happened is almost nonexistent and that as someone with the "utmost respect for healthcare workers," he hoped his experience could be a learning experience for him and for others. "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."