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Officer shoots hospital hostage taker
Healthcare Security Weekly, August 23, 2004
California police shot a woman last week after she took a comatose patient hostage, the San Jose Mercury News reported. The woman later underwent surgery and now faces charges of attempted murder.
Daria Vyaersi, 19, entered Community Hospital in Los Gatos, CA, for self-inflicted wounds to her wrists. She declined a psychiatric evaluation and left the area.
Minutes later, nurses witnessed Vyaersi walk into the room of an elderly, comatose patient and wouldn't leave when asked. Hospital security called the police because Vyaersi had a knife.
Police devised a plan to distract Vyaersi, but when an alarm on the patient's blood-circulation monitor sounded, she wouldn't let any medical personnel in the room. However, she did allow the officer speaking to her into the room, said Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Captain Alana Forrest.
"She was standing by the bed of the victim, and she raised the knife in a manner that threatened the victim, leaving the officer with no choice but to use deadly force. The victim was completely defenseless," Forrest said.
The officer fired a single shot into Vyaersi's abdomen, she said. "We believe she wanted us to shoot her," she said. "It's unfortunate she forced our hand."
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