|
Harrodsburg nurse held at knifepoint at hospital (January 4, 2013) |
HARRODSBURG — An elderly man was lodged in the Boyle County Detention Center after allegedly holding a nurse at knifepoint Thursday at James B. Haggin Memorial Hospital.
About 10:30 a.m., 92-year-old Dewitt Sims, a patient at the hospital, took a nurse at knifepoint.
When a person is identified as carrying a weapon, a code is announced over the intercom and the hospital goes into lockdown, said Vicki Reed, chief executive officer at Haggin hospital.
Reed said police arrived in less than a minute.
“He had her pinned in the corner with a pocket knife at her throat,” said Billy Whitenack, Harrodsburg police chief.
Whitenack said he talked to Sims while approaching him slowly. Sims dropped the knife a few inches, and Whitenack lunged forward to get the weapon from him. “At that age, you’d think he’d be pretty frail, but he wasn’t,” the chief said.
Whitenack said Sims appeared to be having military flashbacks. “He talked about war a lot,” he said.
Sims’ wife arrived and was able to calm him down.
Sims told police he thought he was being held captive, officer Brian Hislope said.
Police also were told Sims may be suffering from dementia.
Whitenack said the nurse was distraught and nervous.
“Nobody was harmed; that’s the important thing,” Reed said, adding the nurse’s name cannot be released at this time.
Sims was charged with two counts of first-degree wanton endangerment. Officer Hislope transported him to the Boyle County Detention Center.
About 10:30 a.m., 92-year-old Dewitt Sims, a patient at the hospital, took a nurse at knifepoint.
When a person is identified as carrying a weapon, a code is announced over the intercom and the hospital goes into lockdown, said Vicki Reed, chief executive officer at Haggin hospital.
Reed said police arrived in less than a minute.
“He had her pinned in the corner with a pocket knife at her throat,” said Billy Whitenack, Harrodsburg police chief.
Whitenack said he talked to Sims while approaching him slowly. Sims dropped the knife a few inches, and Whitenack lunged forward to get the weapon from him. “At that age, you’d think he’d be pretty frail, but he wasn’t,” the chief said.
Whitenack said Sims appeared to be having military flashbacks. “He talked about war a lot,” he said.
Sims’ wife arrived and was able to calm him down.
Sims told police he thought he was being held captive, officer Brian Hislope said.
Police also were told Sims may be suffering from dementia.
Whitenack said the nurse was distraught and nervous.
“Nobody was harmed; that’s the important thing,” Reed said, adding the nurse’s name cannot be released at this time.
Sims was charged with two counts of first-degree wanton endangerment. Officer Hislope transported him to the Boyle County Detention Center.
