An in-custody patient reportedly fired shots inside the Jefferson Cherry Hill (N.J.) Hospital emergency department, according to local media outlets.
Area law enforcement brought the patient to the hospital, which is part of Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health, on Aug. 31 for medical evaluation, Jefferson confirmed in a statement shared with Becker's.
According to ABC affiliate WPVI, around noon, the patient allegedly seized a Hi-Nella Police Department officer's weapon and began firing shots into the emergency department.
"An incident occurred between a law enforcement officer and this in-custody patient," Jefferson Health's statement said. The health system added that no patients or staff were harmed and that "patient care remained uninterrupted" on Aug. 31.
"The patient was seen by medical staff and was discharged back to police custody," the statement said. "This is an ongoing investigation, being handled by the Camden County Prosecutor's Office."
On Sept. 3, Hi-Nella Police Department Chief Donald Brown Jr. confirmed the ongoing investigation to Becker's but did not provide further comments.
It was unclear why the patient was originally in custody, according to NJ Advance Media and The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The weekend incident follows other violent incidents at healthcare facilities, including shootings last month at a ProMedica facility in Michigan and at Lexington Medical Center in West Columbia, S.C. In 2021, a fatal shooting that occurred inside Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia resulted in security changes.