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Monday, June 23, 1997

Man shot while threatening hospital employees with syringe

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) - A policeman shot a man at Spohn Memorial Hospital because he was threatening to stab hospital employees with a blood-filled syringe, police chief Pete Alvarez said.

Alvarez declined to identify the officer who shot Juan Manuel Mendoza, 35, in the abdomen and elbow Saturday night.

Mendoza was reported in serious but stable condition on Sunday.

Paramedics took Mendoza to the hospital's emergency room after answering a call of an attempted suicide. Neighbors said Mendoza gouged out his eye and cut himself on the chest about 1 p.m. Saturday.

"I can't believe what I saw," said Alicia Cantu, a neighbor of Mendoza's. "I'd never seen an eye out before."

She said she was at home with her son when Mendoza walked into the street yelling unintelligible words.

"I saw his eye hanging out," she said, adding that Mendoza gestured for help. Frightened, Cantu said she went into the house and was looking out her window when she saw Mendoza stab himself repeatedly with a kitchen knife as police apprehended him.

Police helped paramedics put Mendoza into an ambulance, and one officer rode in the ambulance to the hospital, officials said.

At that time, paramedics did not feel threatened by Mendoza, said Assistant Fire Chief Andy Cardiel.

"They had no indication that he would become combative," Cardiel said. "He allowed the paramedics to treat him."

Alvarez said police remained at the hospital.

Medical workers started to treat the man and were drawing blood from him when he grabbed the syringe, the police chief said.

"He grabbed a syringe and threatened nurses with it," Alvarez said. "The police officer told him to drop it, but he continued to come forward. He got within 3 to 4 feet of the officer. The guy was lunging at the officer. The officer discharged the gun."

About 15 employees and 12 patients were in the emergency room at the time of the shooting, officials said. Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
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