There were some tense moments at the University of Virginia Medical Center Thursday morning after an employee reported seeing a man with a handgun drawn. As it turns out, it was all a misunderstanding.
Shortly before 8:00 a.m., police responded to a call from a employee who said they saw a man with a gun near the Davis wing of the medical center's west complex. The employee reported the man was wearing a dark blue uniform and holding a silver gun in his right hand.
A sweep was conducted, during which people were told to stay where they were and people were not allowed to enter the building.
UVA police have confirmed that it was actually two corrections officers from the Augusta Correctional Center escorting an inmate receiving care.
The university stresses there is no cause for concern, but also says the witness did the right thing by calling police.
Lt. Melissa Fielding of UVA police stated, "These kinds of situations it's really tough for untrained civilians who see something and I think the staff were completely appropriate to notify us. This wasn't a weapon that was holstered - it was out - and that's unusual for staff members to see."
The officers were confirmed to be one of the individuals seen by the witness.
Lt. Fielding says this is not an uncommon occurrence, inmates receive treatment at the hospital on a regular basis. However, because of the scare, the university is considering whether it should adjust its protocol.
NBC29 was told that having an unholstered gun is part of the procedures officers with the Augusta Correctional Center are asked to follow.
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA - UNIVERSITY POLICE PRESS RELEASE
On July 26, 2012, at 7:55 a.m., University Police responded to a report from medical center staff who observed a man with a gun drawn. The witness described the individual to be wearing a dark blue uniform, holding a silver gun in his right hand near the Davis Wing. Simultaneous to a physical search of the area, University Police attempted to verify with local law enforcement and correctional facilities if they had personnel out at the medical center.
During a physical search of the Davis Wing, officers identified two Augusta County Correctional Officers who were providing security and transport for an inmate receiving care. The officers were confirmed to be the individual seen by the witness.
No one was injured and there is no cause for concern by the Medical Center or University communities.
Lt. Melissa Fielding
University of Virginia Police Department
2304 Ivy Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903
