A weapon threat on Thursday evening forced the emergency department at St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital to be quickly cleared as a precaution.
St. Thomas Police and members of the Critical Incident Response Team responded to reports of an individual with a knife.
They were able to de-escalate the situation through the use of a Conducted Energy Weapon and the person was safely apprehended.
They were provided with necessary mental health supports.
Police Chief Marc Roskamp had the following response.
“Last evening, our frontline officers and members of our Critical Incident Response Team responded to STEGH for a knife-wielding individual who was in crisis.
“Our officers deployed immediate and rapid de-escalation strategies to safely bring this individual into custody.
“The matter remains under investigation and we will be ensuring accountability for the criminal actions committed.
There are occurrences increasing throughout Ontario and Canada pertaining to violence within hospital environments.
“The STPS continues to collaborate with STEGH on these concerning matters and strengthen our shared commitments to ensure STEGH is a safe and secure environment to provide health care services.
“The STPS will continue to support STEGH with violence prevention strategies and align resources to enhance public safety and the delivery of health care services.”
