Man who fired gun at Kentucky hospital is shot by police officer

A man who police said fired shots at a hospital in Elizabethtown was shot by a police officer Saturday morning.

The Elizabethtown Police Department was called to Baptist Health Hardin just after 5 a.m. Saturday for a report of an active shooter, said Chris Denham, public affairs officer for the department.

The suspect, who was armed with a handgun, was shot by one of the responding officers, Denham said in a news conference shared on the police department’s Facebook page.

He said the man “was not fatally wounded” and was taken by helicopter to University of Louisville Hospital. Later in the news conference, Denham described the suspect’s injuries as “critical.”

The man was armed with a handgun and had fired shots before officers arrived, but Denham said no one was hurt.

Denham commended hospital security staff, who he said were unarmed and acted courageously.

“They confronted an armed adversary,” he said.

Denham did not release the name of the officer who shot the suspect. He said Saturday morning that he did not know the identity of the man who was shot or why he was at the hospital.

Baptist Health Hardin said the incident happened in the emergency department.

“While we are grateful that our staff, patients and visitors were not physically harmed, we ask the community to join us in supporting those who were involved,” Baptist Health Hardin said in a statement posted to its Facebook page. “We wish to thank our staff and Security team for their efforts and commitment to safety, and special thanks to the Elizabethtown Police Department for their quick response and professionalism during this incident – and their continued efforts toward maintaining a safe environment at our hospital and in our community.”

The Elizabethtown Police Department is investigating the shooting by the suspect, which Denham said involved a “very large” scene.

Denham said Kentucky State Police will conduct the investigation into the shooting by the officer.