NewsArmed ex-patient storms Zagreb hospital in treatment protest

Armed ex‑patient storms Zagreb hospital in treatment protest

Dangerous incident in Croatia. Police had to surround the hospital
Dangerous incident in Croatia. Police had to surround the hospital
Images source: © PAP | Libor Sojka
Maciej Zubel

3 September 2024 14:47

Staff at one of the hospitals in Zagreb experienced moments of terror on Tuesday when an armed man stormed into the facility and began threatening the staff. A police negotiator soon arrived at the scene and persuaded the assailant to surrender. The man, a former patient of the hospital, was openly dissatisfied with the results of his treatment.

Officers were called to the scene at around 9:00 a.m. GMT. According to the police, the intruder "entered the hospital with a weapon and started threatening the people there." Some staff and patients were evacuated, while others locked themselves in rooms inside the facility.

"After long negotiations, the man surrendered to the police and is currently being interrogated at the police station. He will undergo an examination to determine whether he was under the influence of alcohol or narcotics," reported the newspaper "Slobodna Dalmacija".

It turned out that the assailant is a middle-aged man who was moving with the aid of crutches. He was found to be carrying a blank pistol.

Fortunately, no staff or patients were harmed during the incident.

Former patient attacks hospital over dissatisfaction with treatment

The motives of the assailant remain unknown. The Croatian police have initiated an investigation into the matter.

According to the Nacional portal, "the man had been a patient of the hospital and had been treated there for an extended period." "He had previously complained about his stay and the treatment results," it emphasized.

Source: PAP