Machete-wielding man taken into custody by Port Moody Police following incident at Eagle Ridge Hospital
Port Moody Police apprehended a machete-wielding man making threats at Eagle Ridge Hospital last Tuesday.
On Jan. 14, just after 8:30 p.m., the department received numerous calls from the hospital reporting a man “waving the machete in a threatening manner and causing a disturbance,” according to Const. Sam Zacharias, media officer with the department.
The incident, which occurred inside the hospital’s emergency room, triggered staff to issue a “Code Silver” – a designation for an active attacker.
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When frontline officers arrived on scene, they located the suspect outside the hospital and conducted a high-risk arrest, taking the man into custody without further incident, Zacharias said.
“Any witnesses who have yet to speak with us are encouraged to do so,” Zacharias said. “The matter remains under investigation and we are in the process of recommending criminal charges to the B.C. Prosecution Service.”
The suspect, a man in his 20s from Maple Ridge, was found to be suffering from mental health issues, according to police. He was apprehended under the Mental Health Act and taken to a psychiatric facility..
This is the second serious police incident at the hospital in recent weeks.
On Dec. 30, Port Moody Police announced the Crown had approved charges against a man for assault causing bodily harm, after a nurse was struck on Nov. 20, leading to “significant injuries.”
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