Threats prompt brief St. Charles Bend lockdown

There were some tense moments at St. Charles Bend Tuesday evening as a woman’s verbal threats of violence against staff prompted a roughly half-hour lockdown of the hospital, an official confirmed.

As staff were informed later, just before 6 p.m., the lockdown was ordered after a patient made threatening remarks to Emergency Department staff.

“Hospital leaders contacted the Bend Police Department and the lockdown was lifted approximately 30 minutes later when local authorities deemed the situation was safe and under control,” the statement said.

St. Charles spokeswoman Lisa Goodman said a woman had left the ER “and said she was going to come back and shoot them.” She said the woman was contacted at her home and the situation resolved.

Like lockdowns at schools and other public facilities, the hospital’s doors are locked and people are not allowed to come or go, as a security precaution.

And it’s not as infrequent as you might think. Goodman said a similar lockdown took place last week at Pioneer Memorial Hospital in Prineville over a similar situation of threats being made and police making contact with that person.