A frightening hours-long situation at Albany Medical Center comes to an end Monday night.
The hospital went into lockdown Monday afternoon just after 2:30 p.m. due to reports of an armed assailant inside.
Albany Police and a hospital spokesperson said that a 61-year old man barricaded himself in a room with his 97-year old mother, who was a patient, as she was being prepped to be transported to a rehab facility.
“We learned through our investigation that this individual came to the hospital earlier today as his mother 97 year old mother was preparing to be transferred to another facility. Still trying to figure out what happened after that. He then barricaded himself in the room, with a handgun – we have recovered a firearm, that firearm appears to be a BB gun,” said Officer Steve Smith, Albany Police Public Information Officer. “And our investigation is still pretty active and still ongoing, but he’s been taken into custody and being evaluated medically which is part of our protocol.”
Just after 7 p.m. a CBS6 crew was positioned outside the hospital when they heard a loud, thunderous boom. We learned that what they heard was a distractionary device called a ‘flash bang’ that Albany Police used to distract the individual so they could breach the room.
“It was used outside the hospital as part of the operation and our emergency services team did enter that room, successfully took that man into custody,” said Smith.
The individual, a 61-year old man, was taken into custody around 7:15 p.m.
Smith says he is believed to be from Colonie. Police are not releasing his name at this time.
Albany Med lifted its Code Silver lockdown around 7:37.
CBS6’s Briana Supardi asked about the BB gun that was recovered.
CBS6’S BRIANA SUPARDI: “So he brought the BB gun into the hospital?”
OFFICER STEVE SMITH: “A BB gun was located inside the room that he was in, yes.”
CBS6’S BRIANA SUPARDI: “Was it his?”
OFFICER STEVE SMITH: “Our investigation is still ongoing?”
For those inside the hospital during the lockdown, they were left shaken from the ordeal, including Albany Med nurse Paula Ignacio. Monday was her first day on the job, and it’ll be a first day she’ll never forget.
“It was kind of scary because I haven’t heard of a Code Silver here before,” Ignacio said. “But we were all anxious and we were all on our phone texting and calling our family.”
“But we continued to give patient care,” she added.
Even for veteran workers, learning that the Code Silver announcement was the real deal was something they couldn’t believe.
Albany Med employee Ellie Hussar described to CBS6’s Briana Supardi what it was like when they received the alert.
“They made the announcement and how people who have been working there forever had been acting, they said they have never done–for a drill–it was never like that before,” said Hussar. “So, it was pretty scary and I imagined for patients, it was also pretty scary too because I don’t think they knew what was really going on.”
CBS6’S BRIANA SUPARDI: “What was running through your head?”
ELLIE HUSSAR: “I was just trying to do what I could do to get the patients as safe as possible and try to get us safe too. I don’t know, I didn’t really know what– a lot of the time I was thinking I don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing.
CBS6’S BRIANA SUPARDI: “So pretty scary situation?”
ELLIS HUSSAR: “Yea, pretty scary.”
Police and hospital officials say all staff and patients are safe and everyone is accounted for.
Officer Smith said that, at this time, it’s unknown whether charges will be brought against the man.