A man has been charged with two counts of attempted murder after he allegedly grabbed hold of a police officer’s gun and fired shots inside Canberra Hospital.
The 26-year-old was held under police guard in the hospital’s emergency department on Wednesday after being arrested for serious traffic offences.
He allegedly assaulted the officers surrounding him, got his hands on the gun and fired five shots, the Canberra Times reported.
A man has been charged with two counts of attempted murder after he allegedly grabbed hold of a police officer’s gun and opened fire in Canberra Hospital. Pictured, police at the scene
The hospital was forced into lockdown about 4pm, with police managing to restrain and disarm the man.
He was charged with 10 offences, including the two counts of attempted murder.
The other offences include assault occasioning actual bodily harm, attempted robbery and attempting to escape from custody or arrest.
The man will face the ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday.
Parts of Canberra Hospital’s (pictured) emergency department was closed to members of the public following the alleged incident on Wednesday afternoon
‘The incident at the hospital has been declared a critical incident and AFP Professional Standards will continue to oversee the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident,’ ACT police said in a statement.
‘The preliminary assessment indicates there are no misconduct issues arising from the officers’ actions during this incident.’
Police said no hospital staff or patients were physically harmed.
A large portion of the emergency ward had to be closed off to the public following the alleged incident, with patients moved to a nearby ward.
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