Police: 'No Evidence Of Shots Fired' At Rose Medical Center
DENVER (CBS4)- Police in Denver said there is no evidence of any shots fired at Rose Medical Center and they continue to look for the person of interest in the case. The reports of shots heard prompted a lockdown of the entire medical campus and the nearby VA Hospital on Friday afternoon.
Police gave an update Monday afternoon on the situation that prompted a room-by-room search of the entire medical facility that started just after 4 p.m. Friday. The lockdown was lifted by 8 p.m.
"It doesn't look at this point in time like he ever made it into the hospital. Probably just walked by the hospital but was carrying something that could have been a pellet gun, BB gun, we really can't tell from the video," said Denver Police Special Operations Patrick Phelan.
Police also said they continue to review surveillance video that appears to show a "grainy individual carrying a bag, possibly carrying a weapon."
The man had been seen walking through an alley near the hospital at 9th and Colorado and going through dumpsters.
Police said that they had to act based on two different sightings of a man who had what appeared to be a rifle walking towards the hospital.
"Two nurses saw an individual walk across the street with a rifle," said Phelan.
Investigators said they were not able to recover any evidence of shots fired.
Some employees inside the hospital told police they heard gunfire.
"It's a possibility that a shutdown, the lockdown of the doors caused that noise," said Phelan.
Copter4 flew over the medical campus on Friday afternoon where officers with guns were spotted patrolling the roof of one building. The entire campus was blocked off and police officers with SWAT teams patrolled the perimeter.
"Our responsibility is to take care of that situation, based on the information we had at the time, it was essential we get officers in there and get the hospital safe and clear," said Phelan.
On Friday, police tweeted a description of who they were looking for: a white male in his mid-30s, about 130 pounds, wearing a flannel shirt, a white cowboy hat, maroon shirt and white tennis shoes.
