Imposter Doc Breaches Illinois Hospital Security
HAZEL CREST, Ill. – A man impersonating a doctor at Advocate South Suburban Hospital was discovered by nurses Jan. 9.
The suspect was wearing a white lab coat and stethoscope, but employees were able to determine he didn’t belong at the facility because he wasn’t wearing a hospital-issued ID. He had entered the building at an employee entrance a short time earlier and had made his way to the second floor before being caught.
After being discovered, the man was escorted to an emergency area of the hospital where he was supposed to wait for security. He then fled the facility via a nearby public exit. A security guard then approached him in the parking lot, but the man got into a car, drove in reverse and hit the officer with the vehicle door. The officer was dragged for about 20 feet.
The suspect’s 1991 Plymouth Acclaim was stopped by police in Homewood where he then fled on foot. Police have yet to apprehend the man, although they believe he is 22-year-old Kelly Fitzpatrick.
The security officer involved in the incident was treated for a shoulder injury and released. He returned to work on the 10th.
A hospital spokeswoman surmises an unwitting employee may have held the door open for the suspect.
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