Virginia hospital shooting
Virginia hospital shooting, Police are searching for an escaped prisoner on the grounds of INOVA Fairfax Hospital and the facility is on lockdown Tuesday morning.
Fairfax County Police named the prisoner on Twitter as Wossen Assaye, and said he is is 6 ft tall and weighs 170 pounds. The police force said he was in the custody of a private security guard when he escaped from the hospital armed with the security officer's gun.
Fairfax County Police have a heavy presence at the hospital.The situation, which began around 3:00 a.m. ET, was earlier described earlier as an active shooter investigation, and later said to be investigation of a "suspicious noise."
Police have confirmed that one shot was fired after Assaye overpowered a guard and took a gun. No one was injured in the shooting.Police say that Assaye could also be with his girlfriend and driving a stolen 2002, silver Toyota Camry with Virginia license plates XZP-8153. The vehicle has front-end damage.
Dave Turk, a spokesman for the U.S. Marshal's service, said the suspect is wearing a light blue hospital gown, but no shoes, and may be armed with a handgun.
Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin C. Roessler said Assaye is a suspect in multiple armed bank robberies in the area while on a bicycle and was being held by Alexandria City officials on federal charges at the time of his escape.
He was taken to hospital for medical treatment after he tried to harm himself, say police. A private security company was hired to guard him. At the hospital, there was struggle between the two and Assaye was able to escape.
Roessler said police are uncertain whether Assaye is still in the hospital or whether he fled the area. They are working to contact his girlfriend and other relatives to determine his whereabouts.Turk said the prisoner was being transported from a jail by two guards at the time of his escape. There are no known injuries to the officers who had him in custody, said Turk.
Fairfax County Police named the prisoner on Twitter as Wossen Assaye, and said he is is 6 ft tall and weighs 170 pounds. The police force said he was in the custody of a private security guard when he escaped from the hospital armed with the security officer's gun.
Fairfax County Police have a heavy presence at the hospital.The situation, which began around 3:00 a.m. ET, was earlier described earlier as an active shooter investigation, and later said to be investigation of a "suspicious noise."
Police have confirmed that one shot was fired after Assaye overpowered a guard and took a gun. No one was injured in the shooting.Police say that Assaye could also be with his girlfriend and driving a stolen 2002, silver Toyota Camry with Virginia license plates XZP-8153. The vehicle has front-end damage.
Dave Turk, a spokesman for the U.S. Marshal's service, said the suspect is wearing a light blue hospital gown, but no shoes, and may be armed with a handgun.
Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin C. Roessler said Assaye is a suspect in multiple armed bank robberies in the area while on a bicycle and was being held by Alexandria City officials on federal charges at the time of his escape.
He was taken to hospital for medical treatment after he tried to harm himself, say police. A private security company was hired to guard him. At the hospital, there was struggle between the two and Assaye was able to escape.
Roessler said police are uncertain whether Assaye is still in the hospital or whether he fled the area. They are working to contact his girlfriend and other relatives to determine his whereabouts.Turk said the prisoner was being transported from a jail by two guards at the time of his escape. There are no known injuries to the officers who had him in custody, said Turk.