Florida man arrested after pointing shotgun at security officer and nurse
Milton FL June 4 2020
A Jay man who was denied access to the Santa Rosa Medical Center to visit his wife allegedly retrieved a shotgun from his truck and aimed it at a security officer and a nurse.
Eric Reitz, 57, was arrested Friday, charged with two counts of aggravated battery and booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail without a chance for bond. He remained in custody as of Wednesday.
According to his arrest report, a Milton police officer responded to the Santa Rosa Medical Center around 2:35 p.m. Friday and spoke with a security officer and a nurse who claimed Reitz pointed a shotgun at them and gave them the impression he meant to shoot.
The security officer said Reitz came to the hospital to visit his wife, who was patient, but visitations were not allowed.
A nurse who was standing next to the security guard during the incident told law enforcement that Reitz tried to enter anyway, and that led to a confrontation with the security guard.
When the guard explained to Reitz for a second time that he was not allowed to enter, Reitz began to repeat “You will see,” before walking back to his truck and retrieving a shotgun, according to the arrest report.
The security guard instructed a nearby patient to take cover behind a pillar as Reitz again approached and pointed his weapon at the nurse and security guard.
The nurse told police that Reitz “‘racked’ the shotgun, as if he were loading the gun, and pointed it at them again.”
At that moment, police sirens could be heard in the distance, and Reitz retreated and placed the shotgun back inside his truck.
Responding police found Reitz standing on a sidewalk outside of the hospital, and a search of his 2000 Chevy Silverado pickup truck uncovered a Mossberg 88 12-gauge shotgun and a Mossberg 702 Plinkster .22-caliber rifle on the backseat floorboard.
The rifle was loaded with a bullet in the chamber, and the shotgun was not loaded, according to Reitz’s arrest report.