Law enforcement officers have negotiated the release of a child who was being held by an armed man at a hospital in Redfield, a state attorney and hospital officials said Monday.
The man with a weapon entered the Community Memorial Hospital Avera in Redfield with the 10-year-old child about 8:30 a.m., according to Spink County Attorney Victor Fischbach and Avera. The child was held hostage, later released and was not injured, officials said.
Brown County Sheriff Mark Milbrandt, whose deputies were part of the special response team at the hospital, said no shots were fired and no one has been injured. Law enforcement officers were in the process of arresting the man, Milbrandt said. Authorities have not disclosed the relationship between the man and the child.
Avera said in a statement that all patients were safe and accounted for and that the hospital was on lockdown.
The Redfield hospital is a 25-bed facility with about 130 employees. The hospital had six patients at the time of the incident, Avera said.
(Associated Press)