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Authorities arrested a 65-year-old woman on Tuesday after she allegedly fired a weapon inside a Houston-area hospital, according to reports from Houston-based media outlets.
Houston FOX affiliate KRIV reported that authorities said after she was transported to HCA Conroe for a mental health evaluation and emergency detention order from Harris County, Glendar Jackson removed a small firearm from under her dress and shot two rounds before an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) worker disarmed her. Law enforcement officials charged Jackson with deadly conduct and unlawful carrying of a weapon, KRIV reported.
Mental Health America of Greater Houston CEO Renae Tomczak told Houston NBC affiliate KPRC that training is very essential in a situation just like the one that transpired at the Conroe hospital.
“The training is so important,” Tomczak said, KPRC reported. "Often people become agitated. That’s a good, common symptom."
Authorities are investigating the case, looking to figure out how Jackson was able to reach for her weapon despite being restrained to the gurney.
According to KPRC, the incident yielded no injuries.
HCA Healthcare issued a statement following Jackson's arrest.
"We are committed to high-quality care and maintaining patient and colleague safety," the statement read. "We are required by federal and state laws to safeguard the privacy and confidentiality of our patients."
Tomczak advised that not every mental health crisis takes a violent turn, KPRC reported.
“When we conflate mental illness with violence, it’s stigmatizing and it certainly sets us back in terms of people seeking help,” the CEO told the station.
Conroe Police Department (CPD) Chief Jeff Christy and Conroe Mayor Jody Czajkoski lauded authorities and first responders for their efforts to resolve the situation in a matter that didn't produce any casualties, KRIV reported.
The station reported that Jackson was taken to the Montgomery County Jail after receiving medical clearance.