Patient on Rampage at Hospital Is Shot

Los Angeles police shot and critically wounded a patient at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center early Tuesday after he attempted to stab another patient with a broken piece of glass, authorities said.

The 39-year-old man, who was not immediately identified by hospital or police officials, had been housed in the general medical wing of the hospital when he flew into a rage, said hospital spokeswoman Jane Hong.

Officials said they don’t know what upset him or why he chose to attack the other patient.

Police said the man used a fire extinguisher to smash a window in the other patient’s room. He then picked up a large piece of glass and approached the patient, who was lying in bed, said police Lt. Horace Frank.

Hospital security guards called police when they couldn’t get the suspect to calm down or leave the room, Frank said.

When officers arrived at the fourth-floor medical ward in the hospital’s South Tower, the suspect was standing over the other patient’s bed and looked to them like he was about to stab him, Frank said.

The suspect had essentially taken the other patient hostage, Frank said.

After trying unsuccessfully to convince the suspect to put down the glass, officers fired several nonlethal beanbag rounds, Frank said, but “the rounds had no apparent effect.”

“He became more erratic,” Frank continued. “His behavior got worse and he raised the glass over the patient.”

Officer Thomas Mace, who led a team of six officers, shot the suspect an unspecified number of times in the chest, Frank said.

Hospital personnel performed surgery on the suspect, spokeswoman Hong said.

No one else was injured.

“The officer really saved the other patient’s life, no doubt about it,” said Frank, adding that police are likely to charge the suspect with attempted murder.