LOS ANGELES — A person who allegedly entered an Encino hospital on Friday and stabbed a physician and two nurses was taken into custody 4 hours later after negotiations failed, officers stated.
The stabbing at Encino Hospital Medical Center occurred round 3:50 p.m., police stated. The suspect was taken into custody round 8 p.m.
“We do not believe he was either looking for anyone in particular or targeting a specific individual,” Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton stated after the arrest.
The man had what gave the impression to be self-inflicted wounds to his arms and was taken to a hospital, Hamilton stated.
The knife, which was round 3 to 4 inches lengthy, was recovered, he stated.
One sufferer was in important situation and was in surgical procedure, Hamilton stated earlier. The different two have been described as being in secure situation.
A motive was not clear. The man, who was not recognized, walked into the hospital below his personal energy, Hamilton stated.
Police who initially arrived at the hospital confined the person to a room in the emergency division, and SWAT negotiators tried to speak with the person, Hamilton stated.
SWAT officers finally used “specialized equipment that they have that limits the movement of a suspect” to make the arrest, Hamilton stated. He declined to say what it was, however stated it was not a Taser.
Hamilton stated that the person “presented as a patient” earlier in the afternoon. He was contained by police in what Hamilton described as a storage-type closet.
Patients and employees have been evacuated and officers have been stationed contained in the hospital to restrict any potential entry as a precaution, he stated.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with all involved,” Elizabeth Nikels, vice chairman of communications for the Prime Healthcare hospital system, stated in a press release earlier.
The hospital is a 150-bed medical heart in Encino, which is a part of Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley.
The incident in Southern California occurred simply days after a gunman opened hearth at a hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, killing 4 individuals. In that case, police stated the gunman, who killed himself, was focusing on a physician.