WINGHAM – A North Huron man is facing several charges after a July 5 incident at the Wingham and District Hospital that saw the emergency department entrance damaged.
Police were called to the hospital around 5:50 p.m. that evening for a report of “a disruptive, unwanted individual” that had been asked to leave the hospital by staff.
A second call was received while officers were en route, saying the same individual was “attempting to break into the locked hospital doors by using a chair to break the glass.”
Hospital staff activated a full lockdown “while the suspect proceeded to damage both sets of entry doors and numerous items inside the hospital,” according to a release from police on July 13.
Officers arrived at the hospital shortly after 6 p.m. on July 5, and found the suspect in the emergency department.
Police say the suspect was non-compliant, and a taser was used to “safely gain control of the suspect.” The suspect was then arrested and taken to the Huron OPP detachment for processing.
The emergency department reopened at 10 p.m. once staff cleaned up the damage and temporarily repaired the doors, according to Listowel Wingham Hospitals Alliance CEO Karl Ellis.
The suspect, a 35-year-old North Huron man, has been charged with:
- mischief over $5,000;
- uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm;
- forcible entry;
- common nuisance – endanger life; and
- failure to comply with release order.
The accused was processed, held for a bail hearing, and later remanded into custody.
