WERRIBEE Mercy Hospital staff were confronted by an early-morning outburst last week when a man violently trashed the emergency ward.
Six police cars responded when a Werribee man, 21, began ripping paintings off walls, smashing hospital equipment and threatening nurses at 9am on March 31.
No one was injured in the incident and the man was charged on summons with criminal damage, and will appear in court at a later date.
A police spokeswoman said the man became agitated in the reception, when nurses told him he couldn’t be treated immediately.
“He said he had a medical complaint and was asked to wait, but once in the waiting room, he started to trash the place”
After police arrested the man, a forensic medical officer interviewed him at Werribee police station, but deemed he “wasn’t in a fit state” to be interviewed, the spokeswoman said.
Werribee Mercy’s chief executive Richard Ainley said the hospital activated a security response as the safety of staff, patients and families at the emergency department was top priority.
“The situation was managed effectively and thankfully no one was harmed. We will not tolerate threatening or violent behaviour.”
