Five individuals were injured in an assault at Newton Community Hospital on Tuesday, after a 20-year-old man allegedly attacked staff and visitors with a crowbar. The suspect, originally from Afghanistan, was arrested by Merseyside Police and remains in custody.
Authorities responded swiftly to reports of aggressive behavior at the hospital around 12:10 p.m. The man, who had arrived for a scheduled appointment, reportedly became increasingly agitated when it was denied. He then allegedly damaged a reception counter before assaulting several people inside the facility, according to the Liverpool Echo.
“We were called to reports of a man behaving aggressively at the hospital who had assaulted a number of people,” said St Helens Neighbourhood Superintendent Sarah Rotherham in a statement. The injured victims are receiving medical treatment, with no further details released on their conditions.
The suspect faces charges including five counts of Section 18 wounding, affray, and criminal damage.
Local Councilor Seve Gomez-Aspron, representing the Newton-le-Willows ward, described the rapid emergency response. “At around 12:10 p.m., I got a phone call from my dad, who lives next to the hospital, to say a family friend had run to his house to tell him that someone was attacking staff within the hospital and damaging the reception area,” he said. “I live nearby, so I told him to call the police and rushed to the hospital, arriving within a few minutes. From receiving the call to arriving, there had been a massive emergency response to deal with the incident.”
“I can only thank Merseyside Police and Northwest Ambulance Service for such a swift and efficient response, running into a scenario where danger is unknown. It’s a shock, but as always, we need to await the full facts without speculation,” Aspron added.
Merseyside Police have confirmed the incident is isolated, with no ongoing threat to the public. An investigation is underway.
Original article
Comments