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A restless patient from the psychiatry department of Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Downey on Tuesday, September 11, threw a chair out a window, witnesses said, causing a panic that led heavily armed police to search for a man a gunman.
Jesus Chavez, 34, of Lynwood, was arrested for threatening criminal threats, said Downey police.
Downey Police Chief Carl Charles said that Chavez went to the agents who called him outside shortly after answering a 11:34 call, leaving behind a gun that he had apparently hidden under the clothes.
"There was a report of six to seven shots heard; we have not yet been able to confirm it, "said Charles at a press conference. It was later determined that no shots had been fired, said Downey police in a statement.
The police did not know the motive of the suspect. The police did not immediately say whether he was a visitor or a patient.
Whatever the cause of the commotion, dozens of police cars and the Los Angeles County Departmental Sheriff's Brigade rolled over the medical campus of 9333 Imperial Road. Some of them wearing at least bulletproof vests searched each piece and took precautions even after arresting the suspect.
The hospital was in a state of alert, encouraging people to stay.
An evacuated woman reports to him what happened at Kaiser Permanente, Downey. She said her first thought was today on September 11th. pic.twitter.com/QbvBPVRsA8
– Brittany Murray (@BrittanyMMurray) September 11, 2018
@DowneyPatriot pic.twitter.com/yn9xWtGEc9
– christina mendoza ? (@ ceelovex3) September 11, 2018
Amber Boughner, a visitor, said she was in the waiting room of the psychiatric ward when a patient became angry, beat a door asking to be seen, hit a wall and then threw a chair at through a window.
"It was 11:30 and he shouted that he had an appointment at age 11, that he should not have to wait, he needs to see the doctor now, that" that (explicit) has to come see me, who does it? "She thinks she is?" says Boughner.
Then she and a few others came out of the waiting room.
"We are here and four feet from us, you see a table coming out the window and glass everywhere, then right after that, he threw another," Boughner said.
She said that a security guard told them that the man had a rifle and that he had to run. They went to a break room and stayed there for an hour before the police pulled them out.
Boughner said she had not seen a gun: "It went from bustle to mad," she said.
Jorge Torres, who was in the lab below the psychiatric area to have his blood drawn, said he had heard a loud sound of broken glass.
Then, with about 40 other people, he had to take refuge in the laboratory until the police drove them. He said people were particularly in favor of the 17th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks.
"Everyone was extremely nervous and shocked," he said.
Several witnesses said it sounded like gunshots were fired on the second floor, which houses the psychiatric area.
Walter Narvaez, a phlebotomist working on the first floor, said he heard the public addressing system at around 11:30 pm, a code for an active shooter. He locked himself in a near and called friends and colleagues.
"I have been here for 17 years and nothing like that has ever happened," he said.
Michele Bateman, a registered nurse, said that she understood that there had been no shootings and that one patient in the psychiatric area had acted irregularly and broke a window.
After that, she said, "Everything went well."
Loretta Titus, an administrative assistant at the facility, said she had tried to keep everyone in the lab as quiet as possible to avoid panicking.
"We did not hear any shots, just bustle," she said.
At 12:45, we could see people coming down the stairs with their hands in the air, accompanied by deputies, who took them across the street to a Jack in the Box car park.
When the lot was full, people were directed to a nearby park, with a nurse who guided them.
Police said 400 people had been evacuated from four buildings.
Downey Police Captain Mark McDaniel described the response as "a good team effort".
Jim Branchick, senior vice president and regional director of the medical center, said the facility does not have metal detectors.
He said Kaiser Permanente officials would examine the incident with the police to see "if we could do something better".
In April, hospital staff practiced active fire drills with Downey police and firefighters, officials said.
"The reason we do these exercises is the safety of our employees, our members and all our visitors. I'm very glad we did the exercise, "Branchick said. "It showed that it paid off today."
Kaiser Permanente issued a statement saying the disturbance had occurred in the Orchard medical building on the campus of the medical center and that the facility had been closed during the investigation. Shortly after 5:00 pm, Kaiser officials stated that "the hospital, emergency and emergency care services and most of the Orchard Medical Office building" had reopened.
"We are working to postpone any missed appointments that were canceled due to this incident," Kaiser said. "The safety of our patients, our employees and our doctors is paramount and we are grateful that there were no injuries. We recognize the stress that can arise from such a situation and offer on-site behavioral health services to members, employees and physicians. "
Editors Beatriz Valenzuela and Brian Rokos; and City News Service contributed to this report.
My mother is working at the kaiser in Downey and their padlock because they saw someone walking around with a gun ?
– Mely? (@itsmeely_) September 11, 2018
Currently at Kaiser Downey, there is an armed man at liberty
– sadgirlamb? (@amber_taaylor) September 11, 2018
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