Sydney officer and security guard wounded in shooting

[CaptainKangaroo5691]

Not too many details on this at the moment. Hope they both make a full recovery.

A police officer and a security guard have been shot and injured during an altercation with a man at Nepean Hospital in Sydney's west after the man stole the police officer's gun during a struggle.

Police confirmed they were called to the hospital in Penrith just before 10.30pm on Tuesday after receiving reports a man, aged 39, was threatening a doctor with scissors.

A struggle ensued, and "a police officer lost control of his firearm. Subsequently, the police officer and a security guard were shot", a police spokesman said.

Both the police officer and a security guard were each shot in the leg and are undergoing treatment at Nepean Hospital.

Police Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn says the officer is in a critical but stable condition while the security guard is stable.

A man was arrested and an investigation is under way.

The police spokesman said it was not known if the man was a patient or visitor at the hospital or what had led to the incident.

He said, however, the shooting incident was not believed to be terrorism related.

A spokeswoman for Nepean Hospital said the incident did not impact patients at the hospital, but that ambulances were being diverted to other emergency departments while a police investigation was conducted.

[CCCSD]

I'm sure a crackdown on scissors will occur?

Speedy Recovery to the wounded.

[CaptainKangaroo5691]

More info. Laughable bail conditions there...

A man charged with shooting a police officer and a security guard inside Nepean Hospital's emergency department is a nurse from a nearby hospital who had been released on bail by police earlier in the day after allegedly attacking three officers.

The 39-year-old man was arrested overnight after allegedly holding a pair of scissors to the throat of a female doctor at the busy hospital in Kingswood, in Sydney's west, and screaming that he was going to "kill someone".

The first police officer on the scene, Senior Constable Luke Warburton, was shot in the upper thigh when his gun was pulled from his holster during a scuffle with the man in front of terrified patients and staff just before 10.30pm on Tuesday.

Senior Constable Warburton, 38, from the NSW Police Dog Squad, was listed as critical but stable on Wednesday.

The security guard was shot in the leg and was in a stable condition on Wednesday afternoon.

Fairfax Media has been told the alleged shooter was a registered nurse at Westmead Hospital who had left two years ago, partly due to ongoing problems with the drug ice.

He had never had any troubles with the police until Tuesday morning, when he was arrested and charged with a string of offences, including an aggravated break and enter in the Colyton area.

He was also charged with assaulting two police officers and resisting a third police officer.

However, police granted him bail on the sole condition that he stay away from an address in Colyton.

It's understood the officers took him to hospital in police custody and served a court attendance notice on him while in hospital.

Hours later, he became embroiled in an argument with his wife, believed to be in her teens, that spilled over into the emergency department ward.

It ended with him allegedly firing Senior Constable Warburton's gun twice before being subdued and taken away from the hospital screaming and swearing.

An elderly male patient, who was about to go to sleep in a neighbouring room, said he could hear the man screaming

"I'm gonna kill you. I'm gonna kill you" and "You took my family".

Another patient who heard the fight said he believed the man was arguing with his wife and she was among several people who kept screaming "Michael, Michael" at him.

"When the first shot went off, the woman let out this deafening scream. It was horrible. Then when the second shot went off she screamed even louder," the patient said.

A patient dragged Senior Constable Warburton away from the gunman after he was shot, according to reports.

The man has been charged with shooting with intent to murder, discharging a firearm to resist arrest and detaining for advantage.

He was due to appear in Penrith Local Court on Wednesday but had to be taken back to Nepean Hospital to be assessed.

It's understood he was discharged from hospital on Tuesday afternoon but somehow sustained further injuries, including a suspected broken jaw, forcing him to return to hospital on Tuesday night when the melee occurred.

He was expected to stay in hospital under heavy police guard on Wednesday night before appearing in court on Thursday.

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn went to the hospital in the early hours of Wednesday morning, and spoke to the injured officer's family. She said a critical incident investigation was under way.

"For everybody involved, this is a very traumatic situation," she said.

"At the moment my thoughts are with the officer, my thoughts are with the officer's family.

"I have spoken to his wife, his wife is at the hospital."

Senior Constable Warburton was involved in the arrest of notorious bush fugitive Malcolm Naden in 2012 along with his police dog Chuck.

Gerard Hayes, the secretary of the Health Services Union, said security officers within the NSW health system were faced with violence daily.

"[The shooting] is an outrageous situation. This is an extreme example, of course, but security officers within health are putting up with violent activity every day," he said.

"The ice situation is really getting out of control, particularly in emergency departments. We're seeing a growing number of violence issues, particularly related to ice. This needs to be addressed."

NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner said she had agreed to a request to meet the Health Services Union following the
shooting. The meeting is expected to take place next week.

"The security and welfare of staff and patients in our hospitals is always paramount," Ms Skinner said.

[CCCSD]

Sounds like some training needs to be had...

[Mulgrave600]

I wonder if he was using a thigh rig. I always thought the weapon retention for thigh holsters was rubbish.

[CCCSD]

It is, yet it's Tacticool...

[Mulgrave600]

It is, yet it's Tacticool...

VicPol were the first to roll them out and they were mainly offered for comfort in the car and to ease up on back problems. I don't think that's what their original design is for and having your gun strapped to you leg by buckled straps seems risky to me. Comfort isn't much use when a crook grabs your gun.

[CCCSD]

Yep. There are specific reasons for thigh rigs. Standard patrol isn't one of them.

[Sleuth]

Do the Police set bail in OZ ? Here it takes a Magistrate. Or is your reporting as bad as ours?

What make/model of gun & holster (if known).
Thigh holsters are slower, as well and more vulnerable.
It's that old speed = distance/time thing. The further from your hands, the longer it takes to draw. Most officers don't get into a confrontation with their hands down.

[Mulgrave600]

Do the Police set bail in OZ ? Here it takes a Magistrate. Or is your reporting as bad as ours?

Most of the time the police bail crooks after they have been charged. It's very rare that the crook has to 'post' bail bond or a surety as we call it. They just sign the bail sheet and promise to appear.

What make/model of gun & holster (if known).
Thigh holsters are slower, as well and more vulnerable.
It's that old speed = distance/time thing. The further from your hands, the longer it takes to draw. Most officers don't get into a confrontation with their hands down.

NSW Police use the Glock 22 and I believe they use Safariland holsters.

[CCCSD]

Please God... Not Serpas...

[Mulgrave600]

Please God... Not Serpas...

Not sure. I'm not all that familiar with different holster types because we have no choice with brands.

This is the one I think NSW use:

[CCCSD]

They're ok. Not Serpas.