Holly MatkinSan Jose, CA – A man in police custody allegedly assaulted a police officer and threatened to bludgeon him and a nurse with an oxygen tank before falling to his death from a hospital window late last week.
The incident began at approximately 2 a.m. on May 25, when a suspect accused of violating a court order was transported to O’Connor Hospital due to a pre-existing medical condition, The Mercury News reported.
The suspect was in police custody at the hospital when he allegedly attacked the officer who was guarding him, according to the San Jose Police Department (SJPD).
Police said the violent suspect grabbed an oxygen tank and threatened to hit a nurse and the officer with it, according to The Mercury News.
The officer and hospital personnel immediately retreated from the room to call for additional assistance, leaving the suspect alone inside.
Police said the suspect then smashed out an exterior window using the oxygen tank and made his way out to a ledge situated approximately 20 feet off the ground, The Mercury News reported.
An officer and two security guards tried to save him, but the suspect ultimately fell off the ledge and suffered life-threatening injuries.
It is unclear whether the suspect intended to harm himself or if he stumbled.
He was rushed to another hospital and was later pronounced dead, CBS News reported.
The suspect’s identity was not immediately released.
It is unclear whether the officer the suspect attacked suffered any serious injuries.
The incident is being investigated by the SJPD Homicide Unit and the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, The Mercury News reported.
The SJPD Internal Affairs Unit, the San Jose Independent Police Auditor’s office, and the City Attorney’s Office are all monitoring the investigation.
