DARBY, Pa. (AP) — A psychiatrist who was grazed by gunfire
from a patient at a hospital on Thursday helped stop the patient by
apparently using his own weapon to shoot and wound him, but not before a
caseworker was killed, authorities said.
The patient opened fire
after entering the doctor’s office at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital with the
caseworker, District Attorney Jack Whelan said. Witnesses reported
hearing yelling before the gunshots.
Several hours after the
shooting, investigators had only limited information about what happened
inside the closed office but believe the psychiatrist, "from all
accounts, would have acted in self-defense," Whelan said.
The
doctor, who suffered a wound to his head, "faced a situation where his
life was in jeopardy," Whelan said. He was expected to be interviewed by
detectives late Thursday.
The hospital has a policy barring
anyone except on-duty law enforcement officers from carrying weapons
anywhere on its campus, a spokeswoman for the Mercy Health System said.
But Yeadon Police Chief Donald Molineux said that "without a doubt, I believe the doctor saved
lives."
"Without
that firearm, this guy (the patient) could have went out in the hallway
and just walked down the offices until he ran out of ammunition," the
chief said.
The dead caseworker was identified only as a
53-year-old Philadelphia woman. Police were working to notify her
relatives late Thursday.
Two guns were recovered, Whelan said. Authorities said the motive for the shooting was unknown.
The
patient, who was critically injured and was being treated, was
identified as Richard Plotts, an Upper Darby resident in his mid-30s.
The
prosecutor said Plotts had been involved in previous incidents with
staff, but he did not know their nature. He also said he did not know if
that is why the doctor had a gun or if the doctor would have been
required to have a permit.
After the door of the office was
closed, staff members heard loud arguing inside, opened the door and
noticed the patient had a gun pointed at the doctor, Whelan said. They
closed the door and dialed 911. Gunshots were heard a short time later,
just before 2:30 p.m.
Plotts emerged from the office, and another
doctor and a caseworker helped wrestle him to the floor of the hallway
and grabbed his weapon, Whelan said. By that point he had already been
severely wounded from several shots, Whelan said.
"They acted vigilantly. They acted bravely," he said.
The
exchange of gunfire occurred on the third floor of the Wellness Center
at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital, a 204-bed community teaching hospital just
southwest of Philadelphia.
Authorities said there are no
surveillance cameras in the doctor’s office or the waiting area outside.
They also said the center had no metal detectors.
"Do you
evaluate that now … in light of this incident to make sure people are
safe, especially in what can be a dangerous environment?" Whelan asked.
Patients
waiting in the first-floor lobby reported a tense scene when police
arrived and ordered everyone out. Most of the patients were elderly.
"I
dozed off, and I heard the cop shouting, ‘Come on, come on, get out!’"
said Millicent Russell, 73, of Lansdowne, who was waiting for a 3 p.m.
appointment. "There were people with walkers and canes and stuff. All
these cops were outside running here and there with these guns."