Suspect Opens Fire in California ED with Police Gun

DELANO, Calif. --

A suspect being treated at a Delano hospital was able to take an officer's gun and open fire inside the emergency room Saturday afternoon, police said.

ABC23's North County reporter Crystal Figueroa spoke with the two emergency room nurses who helped the officer regain control of the suspect.

That suspect has been identified by police as Humberto Torres.

Police said Torres was arrested Friday on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.

Torres was taken to Delano Regional Medical Center for a check-up after he got into a struggle with the stabbing victim.

On Saturday, hospital staff said they needed to take a biological sample from Torres.

Delano police said he was being guarded by Officer Mike Adams.

Police said Torres was not handcuffed at the time hospital staff was going to take the sample and that's when a struggle began.

Nurses Bill Wheatly and Francisco Hernandez said they were outside the room when they heard Adams yell for help.

Both men said they had no idea Torres had a gun until they entered the room and Adams told them Torres was armed with his duty weapon.

Police said Torres fired one round into the ground and no one was injured.

Delano police are calling the nurses’ efforts heroic, but the two men said heroism has nothing to do with it.

They said they were just doing their job.

Adams is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation.

Torres has been transferred to a different hospital.

Officers said given the tragedy of the fallen Oakland officers this weekend, they are grateful things did not get any worse.

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