Man with crossbow taken into custody outside Saint Agnes hospital

Fresno police rushed to Saint Agnes Medical Center after a report early Wednesday that a former patient was at a bus stop armed with a crossbow.

A dozen officers arrived at the hospital at Herndon and Millbrook avenues, took the man into custody and confiscated the crossbow, according to an officer at the scene.

The incident began shortly after 6:30 a.m. when hospital security called police for assistance.. The man reportedly had been escorted from the hospital and became upset because a taxi was taking too long to arrive. He then took the loaded crossbow out of a backpack.

The officer said the incident was being treated as a mental health issue and the man probably would not be charged with a crime.

It appeared that the man brought the crossbow into the hospital in the backpack.

Kelley Sanchez, a spokeswoman for the medical center, said the crossbow was taken from the man while he was in the care of the facility and then returned to him off Saint Agnes property. She noted it is not illegal to have a crossbow. She said that if someone enters the facility's property with a weapon such as a firearm, the gun is taken away by security and police are contacted.

Sanchez said Saint Agnes does not use metal detectors at entry points.

Kerri M. Leedy, spokeswoman for Kaiser Permanente in Fresno, said the medical center "is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for … patients, families, physicians and employees.

"We have comprehensive security and safety measures in place, and strictly prohibit the possession of weapons at our facility."

She added that metal detectors will be added as part of comprehensive security plan.

At Community Regional Medical Center, spokeswoman Amy Wilson said guests and patients who enter are screened by metal detectors. Guests with weapons, such as a person with a concealed weapons permit, are given the option of leaving or turning over the weapon to security while they are in the hospital.

This story was originally published April 4, 2018 at 7:29 AM with the headline "Man with crossbow taken into custody outside Saint Agnes hospital."