Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting Occurs at Ohio’s St. Ann’s Hospital
The man was holding a BB gun on the St. Ann’s Hospital campus and ignoring police orders to drop the weapon.
Mount Carmel St. Ann’s Hospital was locked down for almost three hours following the shooting.
A man was fatally shot by a police officer outside of Mount Carmel St. Ann’s Hospital in Ohio after he pulled out a realistic BB gun April 6.
Christopher L. Wade, 39, died from his injuries shortly after being shot by Columbus police officer Nathan Komisarek. The shooting continues to be investigated by the Westerville Police Department.
The incident began just before 1 p.m. when medics responded to a report of a man acting erratically outside of his home. The person who reported the behavior told the 911 operator that the man had been on medication and owned guns.
Westerville medics responded to the scene and requested Columbus police follow them as they transport Wade to St. Ann’s Hospital.
When the ambulance stopped outside of the hospital, Wade reportedly walked out of the back of the vehicle with a garbage bag. Wade then pulled what appeared to be a loaded handgun out of the bag and ignored police orders to drop the weapon.
Wade was shot and transported to the hospital’s ER, where he was pronounced dead. Officers learned later that Wade had been holding a realistic looking BB gun.
The hospital was locked down until 4 p.m. as additional officers arrived at the scene. The hospital released a statement saying no patients or employees were in any danger during the incident.
Columbus Division of Fire Battalion Chief Steve Martin told wkbn.com that he was unsure about responders’ rights to search patients during medical transport. He said Columbus agencies will consider changing or clarifying their policies as a result of the incident.
Read Next: Fla. VA Shooting Stopped by Hospital Security and Staff
If you appreciated this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!
Related Content
Leading in Turbulent Times: Effective Campus Public Safety Leadership for the 21st Century
This new webcast will discuss how campus public safety leaders can effectively incorporate Clery Act, Title IX, customer service, “helicopter” parents, emergency notification, town-gown relationships, brand management, Greek Life, student recruitment, faculty, and more into their roles and develop the necessary skills to successfully lead their departments. Register today to attend this free webcast!
