Havre police cope with hospital incident

Havre police were summoned to a disturbance at the emergency room at Northern Montana Hospital Monday morning.

Police said as they arrived at the scene, the perpetrator of the incident fled the scene, exiting the hospital by a side door. The victim apparently left the scene as well.

The apparently started on Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation, where there were reports the perpetrator had a gun. Authorities don't know if he had a gun at the hospital.

"We just kind of came up there to keep the peace, and by the time we got there the individual was gone," said Havre Police Chief Gabe Matosich.

Rocky Boy emergency medical technicians said they had an ambulance trip to the hospital Monday morning but couldn't comment on what happened.

Havre police said in a press release that Rocky Boy authorities arrested the perpetrator on the reservation for unspecified charges.

Rocky Boy police did not return phone calls from reporters seeking to find out what had happened.

Havre Police Lt. Aaron Witmer said that as the incident took place, hospital officials involved enacted precautionary measures throughout the building.

Hospital officials would not comment on the incident, citing federal patient privacy laws.

"Healthcare facilities like ours have standard operating procedures in place to protect our patients, staff and visitors," said Julianne LaSmith, a hospital spokesman. "We used the procedures listed in our Emergency Operations Plan to formulate our responses. We use emergency codes in order to inform our staff about emerging situations."

LaSmith said such codes are considered confidential, given that they fall under the category of patient care.