A man died after he was shot by a hospital security officer in the emergency department at Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center in Houston on Sept. 5, according to a Sept. 8 Houston Police Department news release.
The man, 31, arrived at the emergency room shortly after 6 p.m. and told staff he was suicidal, police said in remarks reported by KPRC, the NBC affiliate in Houston, and other local outlets. Staff treated him and placed him in a secluded area of the ER.
Shortly before 9 p.m., the man produced a knife and refused to put it down, police said. Security officers deployed Tasers and the man fell to the ground. A security sergeant tried to retrieve the knife, the man got up and reached for it again, and the sergeant then fired, striking him in the torso, according to KHOU, the CBS affiliate in Houston. HPD said the man had displayed a knife to staff and uniformed security guards, did not comply with commands to drop it and advanced toward the guards after nonlethal tactics were used.
The man suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead by physicians, according to HPD. His identity is pending notification of family.
After consulting with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, investigators determined the shooting will be referred to a Harris County grand jury, HPD said.
“The safety and privacy of our workforce, patients and visitors are our top priority,” Memorial Hermann said in a statement shared with Becker’s. “We are fully cooperating with law enforcement’s investigation and, due to patient privacy laws, cannot comment further at this time.”
Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center has a medical staff of 1,500 affiliated physicians and is part of the 14-hospital Memorial Hermann Health System.
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 11:15 a.m. CT Sept. 8.
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