KINGSTON, Pa. — In a news conference on Monday, Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce explained that an incident at First Hospital in Kingston started as a fight between two patients around 7:15 p.m. Saturday.
"At eight o'clock, it was reported to be a full-on large-scale incident involving approximately 14 juveniles who were inside that facility. The staff at that point had called in to indicate that they had barricaded themselves at a nursing station," explained Sanguedolce.
The DA says five people were treated for injuries and released, including the two teenage boys believed to have started the incident, a teenage girl not involved in the fight, and two staff members.
"We are mindful that the subjects of this investigation are in First Valley Hospital for the purposes of obtaining mental treatment. So that is factoring into a large part of our investigation," added Sanguedolce.
Officials in Luzerne County say the incident prompted a response from police and first responders across the Wyoming Valley, who encountered some issues accessing the building.
"First Valley Hospital is a secure facility. Due to the nature of the work that they perform there," added Sanguedolce. "The police had great difficulty gaining access to certain areas of the hospital. That is something Chief Kotchik, and I intend to address with the administration to protect the safety of the staff there and also to protect anyone entering for purposes of emergency services."
The DA says he also wants to address the lack of security he believes was on hand at the facility.
"In my opinion, there was not enough security there. And I don't know if that's a function of the regular staffing or the shortage that we're seeing and personnel pretty much across the country. So, we're at we are going to have to discuss that," he added.
Newswatch 16 reached out to Commonwealth Health for comment. A spokesperson for the hospital sent us this statement:
"We are reviewing Saturday's incident and evaluating potential modifications for the future. The three patients and two employees received care and were medically discharged Saturday evening. Maintaining a safe environment for our patients and provider team is our highest priority. We are in contact with District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce and will continue to work collaboratively with him as we conduct our review of the situation. The timely response of local first responders was tremendously helpful, and we appreciate their support."
The Luzerne County district attorney's office says it is too early in the investigation to determine if charges will be filed.
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