Police in St. Thomas have charged a 27-year-old man who threatened to use a weapon in an effort to be seen faster by hospital emergency room staff.
Officers were called to St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital's Emergency Department just after 7 p.m. on Christmas Day for issues with a patient.
Investigators say a man had entered the hospital and demanded to be treated immediately, was informed it would be a few minutes, then "began to bang and pull on the triage door."
The man then threatened staff, including indicated he had a weapon, to try to get faster treatment, according to police. No weapon was located.
After he was treated, the man was arrested and charged with uttering threats, public mischief and breach of probation.
He was released with a future court date.
Hospital officials are thanking staff for their quick reaction and St. Thomas police for their immediate response.
Karen Riddell, vice president at St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital, said in a statement that staff are trained to respond while keeping other patients and staff safe.
“With regard to the incident that occurred in the Emergency Department on December 25 in the evening, staff immediately took charge, isolated the potential threat, contacted local police, and the situation was resolved. In every case of violence, we review the event to identify opportunities for improvement and learning."
The hospital does not use a bracelet system like the London Health Sciences Centre to identify potentially violent patients, but instead posts an indicator outside a patient's room indicating a risk.
