PHOENIX — Phoenix police have arrested multiple patients at the Arizona State Hospital after they barricaded themselves, held staff against their will, and threatened them with make-shift weapons on Monday morning.
Police and hospital officials confirmed the incident in separate emails to ABC15 this morning.
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The assaults took place inside the state hospital’s forensic unit, which generally houses the so-called criminally insane.
“At approximately 8:30 a.m. today, three Forensic patients at the Arizona State Hospital (ASH) assaulted three staff members and barricaded themselves in their treatment unit. These patients damaged various pieces of medical equipment and threatened to use the items as weapons against staff,” said Arizona Department of Health Services spokesperson Steve Elliott in an email statement. “Per our emergency operations plan, ASH personnel contacted Phoenix PD, who responded to the event with the utmost level of professionalism. The three patients were taken into custody by police. Staff sustained minor injuries and are being evaluated off-site at this time.”
The Arizona State Hospital is overseen by the health department.
Phoenix police told ABC15 after an intial investigation officers determined only two patients were involved and a third was not an active participant.
Police released this initial information shortly after the arrests.
“Just before 9:00 a.m. officers responded to a call of a fight at a hospital facility near 24th Street and Van Buren. Three adult male patients were inside the facility not allowing staff to leave. Officers detained all three suspects and they will be booked into jail on various offenses,” according to initial information sent to ABC15 by police. “Three staff members (two females, one male) were victims during this incident and suffered minor injuries. No one was transported to the hospital. Details about what happened while inside the facility remains an on-going investigation.”
ABC15 has investigated problems with the Arizona State Hospital for more than a decade.
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Staffing shortages have long been a key issue for the publicly-run psychiatric facility, and sources said it currently remains a problem.
In his emailed statement, Elliott said, “Such incidents are extremely rare, and the Arizona State Hospital has established procedures in place to protect staff and patients if one should occur.”
Contact ABC15 Chief Investigator Dave Biscobing at Dave@ABC15.com.
