Herald Staff
A man armed with two handguns fired at a security guard before turning the gun on himself inside the lobby of the psychiatric Emergency Room on the campus of UC Health in the 3200 block of Burnet Avenue at about 2 p.m. Wednesday, December 20.
Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac said gunman Isaiah Currie, 20, shot the security officer as he was walking through the metal detector of the psychiatric emergency services wing. The officer was seriously wounded after Currie fired two shots into the guard’s torso.
Isaac said the guard, who has not been identified, acted heroically in confronting the suspect. “He was able to push past Mr. Currie and flee out the front door into the parking lot area. Mr. Currie pursued the officer and fired several more rounds as he ran,” Isaac said at a press conference Thursday.
After chasing the security guard, Currie returned to the hospital lobby and fired at a Cincinnati police officer who approached the glass door entrance. Officer Bob Nelson, who was working the hospital off-detail, was not hit. The officer did not return fire. Then Currie ducked back into the waiting area and fired a shot, taking his own life, Isaac said.
Currie had been released from jail about one week ago, Isaac said. He was out on bond on a felonious assault charge.
Isaac said Currie was a violent individual with mental health issues, but he could not say what motivated him to open fire on the officer.
Police had blocked off Burnet immediately after the incident began and stabilized the scene.
Hospital surveillance cameras caught the confrontation on camera. Video released by CPD shows Currie walking in and out of the lobby carrying two guns.
According to court records, Currie was arrested on Nov. 2 for felonious assault. On Nov. 17, he added an assault charge to his criminal record when he allegedly got into an altercation with a jail guard.