LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — A Lawrenceville Police officer was shot Wednesday night when a hospital patient attacked them and tried to disarm the officer, according to the GBI. A second officer returned fire at the patient.
It happened around 10:30 p.m. at the Summit Ridge Behavioral Health Hospital off Scenic Highway in Lawrenceville.
Police say they were called to the hospital when a 20-year-old patient was attempting to escape and had broken through a back door. They say he was at the hospital for "involuntary committal due to a mental health condition."
Officers and hospital staff met with the patient to de-escalate the situation. At that point, the patient tried to disarm the officer and during a struggle, the officer was shot, police said in a statement. A second officer shot the patient and was able to get the gun back.
Both the officer and patient were transported to Northside Gwinnett Hospital. The officer was released and the patient is in critical condition in the intensive care unit.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is handling the shooting.