Prisoner at University of Wisconsin emergency department tires to grab officer’s gun
MADISON, Wis. April 2 2020 A gunshot went off in University Hospital’s Emergency Department late Tuesday morning as a suspect fought with the police officers who took him there for treatment, the UW Police Dept. explained in a release.
According to police, a pair of City of Fitchburg Police Department officers took the suspect to the emergency room to be evaluated and treated. The name of the individual was not released nor did police say what injuries he may have suffered.
They were moving him to another part of the emergency room around 11 a.m. when the suspect reportedly tried to get one of the officer’s gun and, during the ensuing struggle, a single gunshot went off. The bullet went straight into the ceiling, police said.
The officers detained the suspect shortly thereafter and he was again taken into custody, UWPD continued. No injuries were reported.
Soon after the shot went off, the University of Wisconsin’s campus alert system tweeted that campus police and asked people nearby to take shelter and secure their doors. Everyone else was urged to avoid the area.
Minutes later, a second tweet reported the suspect had been detained and there was no threat to the community. Police have not confirmed if any shots were fired nor if anyone was injured in the incident.
UW Health issued a statement early in the afternoon, assuring patients that both the hospital and the Emergency Department remain open. It also thanked all of the law enforcement agencies and its own security team for its quick response.
WMTV
