Aberdeen, WA – Tuesday evening an individual that had entered the Emergency Department’s Triage area was observed to have, what appeared to be, a gun in the screen mesh pocket of a backpack. Staff advised the person that weapons are not permitted in the building, then summoned the hospital’s armed Security Officer and called 911.
The appearance of the Security Officer caused the individual to flee the building. The hopsital immediately went into an “External Lockdown” in which employees have been trained to secure all entrances and exits to the building in order to protect the safety of patients, visitors and staff.
The person was located on the hospital grounds and interviewed by the Security Officer. Upon the arrival of the Aberdeen Police Department, the individual was further interviewed, then arrested on outstanding warrants.
According to a report from the Aberdeen Police Department, the person was carrying an air pistol that had an appearance of a small caliber semi-automatic handgun.
“This is an excellent example of having the right tools and training in place for dealing with an unexpected event”, said Linda Brown, hospital spokewoman. “We are very proud of our staff and their response to this incident. Everyone stepped up and followed the protocols they’ve been trained on – which allowed the rest of our staff to continue caring for patients, knowing their security was in good hands.”
| 