Armed Man Tries to Avoid Arrest by Hiding in Texas Nursing Home
A man police say was armed with a rifle tried to escape the police by hiding in a nursing in an effort to avoid arrest.
The man was spotted standing outside the nursing home holding what appeared to be a rifle by an officer patrolling the street. When the man saw the police officer, he tried to hide the rifle in his jacket. As the officer approached the man, he tried to escape by entering the nursing home.
Two other officers summoned to the cite entered the nursing home to search for the man. They found him inside one of the resident’s rooms. His .22 caliber long rifle was hidden under the resident’s bed.
The resident did not know the man.
Compliance Perspective
Failure by a nursing home to conduct Hazard Vulnerability Assessments to identify events for which they need to prepare, such as an armed individual with potential to be an active shooter, may be considered a violation of the CMS requirement to have a comprehensive Emergency Preparedness Plan in place, and might be deemed provision of substandard quality of care, in violation of state and federal regulations.
Discussion Points:
- Review policies and procedures in the facility’s Emergency Preparedness Plan to determine if it includes protocols for conducting Hazard Vulnerability Assessments that identify events for which the facility needs to be prepared. Evaluate the completed risk assessment to ensure the contingency mechanisms needed to implement emergency plans are in place to ensure the safety of all residents.
- Train staff on how to handle various emergency situations that might occur, such as a potential active shooter. Training may need to involve outside experts.
- Periodically audit to determine when and if the facility has conducted its Hazard Vulnerability Assessments and if staff have received training about how to handle various types of emergency situations.
