An Italian prisoner causes panic in the Sassari emergency room.
The man, escorted by prison officers, was at the Santissima Annunziata hospital around 10:00 PM when he suddenly went on a rampage. He first demanded to be examined immediately, then broke an IV pole, brandishing it like a weapon, and then grabbed an infusion pump and threw it at the officers. When they intervened, the man attempted to lunge at one of them but was subdued by three law enforcement officers.
The Sappe union broke the news.
"Episodes like this evening's," emphasize Luca Fais, regional secretary, and Antonio Cannas, national delegate, "demonstrate how crucial it is to provide dedicated holding cells or protected environments for the management of inmates within hospital facilities . These spaces can be used, when health conditions permit, to carry out the necessary assistance and surveillance activities in safer conditions."
"Prisoners' access to the common areas of the Emergency Room should be limited to cases where it is truly essential for medical reasons," they continue. "Having dedicated and adequately protected spaces would significantly reduce the risk of violent incidents involving not only members of the Penitentiary Police and medical staff, but also private citizens and families present at the hospital exclusively for treatment."
"Once again," they conclude, "the Penitentiary Police have demonstrated great operational capacity, professionalism, and a sense of duty. SAPPE extends its full support and thanks to those colleagues who participated. However, we cannot rely solely on the professionalism and composure of our staff: we must enable our staff to work safely and, through appropriate facilities and tools, prevent situations that could have far more serious consequences."
