Durham DA: Officers Should Not Be Armed in Duke ER After Fatal Shooting
The recommendation was made after a patient grabbed an officer’s service weapon and fired it in the Duke University emergency department.
(Photo: GoogleMaps)
DURHAM, N.C. — Durham County District Attorney Satana Deberry said Duke University Medical Center and Duke University Police should “strongly consider” a policy that requires officers to secure their weapons before entering emergency departments.
The suggestion comes after a Duke University police officer shot and killed 38-year-old Raishawn Steven Jones in the Duke University Hospital emergency department after he grabbed the gun of a Durham officer and fired it, reports The News & Observer.
On Jan. 14, Durham Police took Jones to the hospital for a medical evaluation after he crashed his car and hit a pedestrian. A Durham police officer removed Jones’ handcuffs so he could use the restroom. He then reportedly became agitated and uncooperative when medical personnel evaluated him to be discharged.
Body camera footage shows the officer attempted to handcuff Jones but he grabbed his service weapon and fired a round. A Duke University officer who responded to the incident shot Jones.
Hospital staff attempted to revive the man but he died at the scene. It was later determined through an autopsy that Jones had at least 0.57 milligrams of Phencyclidine, commonly known as PCP, in his system at the time of his death. The drug can cause hallucinations, distort senses, cause violent and erratic behavior, and induce psychosis.
No other patients were injured during the incident and one Durham officer was treated immediately after the incident. The officer who shot and killed Jones will not face criminal charges as Deberry’s office determined his use of force was not excessive.
“However, it is worth noting that the presence of guns in the Emergency Department dramatically increased the level of risk of harm to others that night,” she wrote in a letter to the Duke University Police Department.
In her analysis of the shooting, Deberry also said if the officer had been “required to secure his weapon when entering the ED, the physical altercation between the two very large men would have little risk of injuring other people in the area that night.”
Current policies at the Duke, UNC and WakeMed hospital systems permit armed law enforcement officers in hospital emergency rooms. A spokesperson for Duke’s communications department told The N&O that the hospital is reviewing its policies but she did not address Deberry’s recommendation. Earlier this month, Duke University Hospital Assistant Vice President of Emergency Services told WRAL that all Duke Health facilities are “gun-free zones” and emergency rooms are equipped with metal detectors.
A study from Johns Hopkins University found that nearly 25% of emergency department shootings from 2000 to 2011 involved someone attempting to take a weapon from an armed officer. Some medical experts say uniforms and weapons can worsen delusions in psychotic or paranoid patients, The New York Times reported.
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About the Author
Amy Rock, Executive Editor
Amy is Campus Safety’s Executive Editor. Prior to joining the editorial team in 2017, she worked in both events and digital marketing.
Amy has many close relatives and friends who are teachers, motivating her to learn and share as much as she can about campus security. She has a minor in education and has worked with children in several capacities, further deepening her passion for keeping students safe.
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While it good and right that the officer involved will not be prosecuted, the idea of cops and armed security not having their weapons in ERs is ridiculous.
Bad guys with guns come into many ERs for many reasons. If there is no one there to confront them, the bloodbath that could happen will be worse than what happened here.
Nothing wrong with policies about how to handle these patients, how to protect your gun, etc. but disarming those who have the lawful, legal right to carry makes simply no sense.
I have to agree with Jeff Rush on this one. This isolated incident is an officer training issue and should be addressed as such. There are many threats in an ER and disarming the men and women who are charged with dealing with these threats is the wrong call. The patient in this incident could have just as easily grabbed a scalpel. Does this mean we should remove all the scalpels from the ER? The purchase of some quality retention holsters and defensive tactics training are a more appropriate response.