Three law enforcement officers, including one who remains hospitalized, were injured Thursday afternoon in an altercation with a psychiatric patient at Brainerd Regional Human Services Center.
Brainerd police officers Mike Lambert and Scott Stanfield with Crow Wing County sheriff's deputy Jan Mezzenga responded at 2:47 p.m. Thursday to the Timberland Mental Health adult program at the state hospital.
They were called to this psychiatric center in Building 22 to assist with a large patient who was refusing his medication.
The patient was out of control. A fight ensued. The law enforcement officials on the scene put out a code, over their radios, indicating officers needed help.
More than a dozen law enforcement officials responded.
Before the patient was subdued, Lambert and Stanfield suffered blows to the head and Mezzenga suffered a left knee injury, which required surgery. He was hospitalized overnight. Lambert and Stanfield did not require medical treatment.
The patient was placed in seclusion.
Lambert said the patient had threatened to kill staff. "He went off on us," Lambert said, noting he was struck in the head with a closed fist. He said Mezzenga was trying to pull the patient off the Brainerd officers when he was hurt.
The Timberland psychiatric unit is a secure facility. Most of the patients are placed there by a court order. The patient who assaulted the officers had been placed there on an indeterminate commitment from Beltrami County, law enforcement officials said.
"It's unfortunate that we had officers injured," said Brainerd Police Chief John Bolduc. "In an ideal world, this sort of thing wouldn't happen."
Bolduc said reports would be forwarded to the Crow Wing County attorney's office for consideration of charges. He said there are special circumstances because the suspect is a patient and not a prisoner.
Doug Seiler, a regional administrator for state operated services, including BRHSC, said, "We have a longstanding positive working relationship with the Brainerd Police Department."
He said staff call on law enforcement for assistance whenever the safety of a patient or staff member is at risk.
In this situation, Seiler said police were contacted as the behavior of the patient began to escalate.
Seiler said it was a tragedy law enforcement officials were injured in this altercation.
