Police officer, security guard shot in Nepean Hospital emergency department
A MAN charged with shooting a policeman with his own gun after a altercation at a hospital in Western Sydney was himself a nurse.
A 39-YEAR-OLD man has been charged over the shooting of a police officer and security guard at Nepean Hospital during a scuffle at the Western Sydney hospital last night.
The police officer shot with his own gun during the scuffle has been identified as dog squad cop Luke Warburton, the man who helped bring violent fugitive Malcolm Naden down in the forests of NSW.
Mr Warburton and a security guard were shot after the man allegedly got hold of the officer’s gun during a scuffle.
A police source confirmed to the Daily Telegraph that both men were wounded by the same bullet when it passed through Mr Warburton’s thigh and lodged in the security guard’s leg.
The man, who is a nurse at nearby Westmead Hospital, has been charged with shoot with intent to murder; discharge firearm with intent to resist arrest; and detain for advantage.
The Daily Telegraph has been told that the man had been arrested by police at 1.30pm yesterday for goods in custody related to an alleged break an enter at Colyton. He allegedly then resisted arrest and assaulted police
He was taken to Nepean Hospital in police custody before a decision was made to issue him a future court attendance notice, effectively granting him bail. Senior police are now reviewing the circumstances surrounding that decision.
He was due to appear to appear in court today but was deemed medically unfit.
Nepean Hospital near Penrith was forced into lockdown after the incident and emergency services were asked to not transport patients to the area.
The shooting occurred about 10.40pm inside the hospital’s emergency room in Kingswood and the alleged gunman was apprehended moments later.
Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn said Mr Warburton was in a critical but stable condition after being shot in the left thigh and the guard was stable after being shot in the calf.
Ms Burn said she had been to the hospital to meet staff and the Mr Warburton’s family.
“My thoughts are with the officer and the officer’s family and all the hospital staff who have been involved in this incident,” she said.
Mr Warburton, a senior constable with the NSW Police Dog Squad, made headlines in 2012 when he and trusted police dog Chuck helped bring Naden into custody.
Naden had been on the run since 2005 and was wanted over murder and indecent assault charges.
He was considered Australia’s most wanted man and had been compared to Ned Kelly after surviving for months in the bush by living rough and raiding remote properties for supplies and weapons.
Another patient at Nepean Hospital said he dragged Mr Warburton away from the area after he was shot.
The patient said the attacker took Mr Warburton’s gun during a scuffle on the floor and fired two shots.
“He has taken (the gun) out of the copper’s holster during the scuffle on the ground,” the witness, who did not want to be named, said.
“I ran over to the copper. I grabbed the copper and dragged him backwards.
“We threw him on a bed. The security guard wore one in the left [knee] … the police officer in the left thigh.”
The patient claimed that the man had been holding a female doctor and was yelling when hospital security and police arrived to try and settle him down.
“A guy was screaming and shouting, we couldn’t make out what he was saying,” the man said.
“Security came running and started evacuating the area. A police officer came running in, he was overalls, and tried to calm the situation down.
“Nurses were trying to get everyone back in the room.”
Police said this morning a 39-year-old man was arrested and is assisting police with inquiries.
Police said they had set up a critical incident investigation to determine what happened during the incident.
Ten police cars gathered outside the emergency department including three Dog Squad vehicles.
Health Services Union representative Gerard Hayes gave a press conference outside Nepean Hospital this morning.
Mr Hayes called for an urgent meeting with the health minister to discuss greater powers to protect workers.
“Unfortunately we see another incident in a NSW hospital that has lead to serious injuries to police and security officers,” said Mr Hayes.
“Doctors and nurses have been put at risk.
“This is a matter we have been in contact with health services and the health minister on in excess of five years
“We see now with ice and alcohol-related violence, emergency departments are becoming more like battlegrounds than areas of care
“It is a crazy situation. A nurse was killed in Bloomfield Hospital last year, the riot squad has been called to RPA six months ago.
“We’ve been saying for some time (for security guards) to have the power to restrain and detain people.
“We are now calling on the minister to get involved.”
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