Nurse, Security Guard Shot By Emergency Room Patient Inside Kentucky Medical Center

A nurse and a security guard were injured after a patient opened fire inside a medical center in Bowling Green, Kentucky, on Wednesday night.

According to the arrested citation, the accused, identified as 42-year-old Jeffrey Fields, was an emergency room patient. On Wednesday night, he stripped off his medical gown and started removing his attached medical equipment. He then grabbed a stool and started threatening the hospital security guards with it. In an attempt to restrain him, two guards pushed him to a wall.

A struggle ensued between them during which the accused attempted to disarm one of the guards. He instead fired the gun while it was in its holster. The bullet struck the other security guard and grazed a nurse.

Police arrived at the scene after receiving a report of shots being fired inside the hospital. The officers managed to restrain the patient by using a taser. Following treatment, the man was arrested. He was charged with assault, wanton endangerment and resisting arrested and was held at Warren County Regional Jail. Meanwhile, the security guard and the nurse were expected to make a full recovery.

In a statement, Med Center Health Chief Executive Officer Connie Smith said, “We deeply regret that anyone sustained injuries last night. There is no doubt in my mind that the proper and prompt response by the ED staff, our security personnel and the Bowling Green Police Department combined to contain this incident before others were injured. We are cooperating with the local authorities as they continue their investigation this morning.”