A patient who was shot by an off-duty police officer working security at St. Joseph Medical Center in Houston, TX, is suing the hospital, its parent company, the city of Houston, and four police officers.
Alan Pean was having a severe panic attack when he checked himself into St. Joseph Hospital Aug. 26, 2015, according to a CMS report of the investigation after the shooting. Pean grew confused during his hospital stay and repeatedly left his room naked. His actions prompted nurses to call hospital security, which was two off-duty Houston Police Department officers.
Pean attacked the officers with a piece of furniture when they came to his room, which prompted the officers to first use a conducted electrical weapon and then shoot the patient. The lawsuit seeks more than $1 million for Pean’s pain and suffering as well as legal and medical expenses, and it claims the officers were not properly trained to de-escalate a mental health crisis.
The lawsuit follows a harsh blow from CMS at the end of 2015. After investigating the shootings and other compliance issues, CMS notified St. Joseph Medical Center that it would be terminated from the federal government programs. The hospital was out of compliance for six months, with the shooting and other issues putting patients in “immediate jeopardy,” CMS reported.
