A Warren man is facing a stack of misdemeanor charges after police say he snapped an IV pole off its base and started brandishing it like a baseball bat inside Mercy Health St. Joseph Warren Hospital on Saturday, March 14. Nurses guided responding officers to a room where, according to police, he had barricaded himself behind a bed with oxygen tanks at his back, and officers ultimately used a stun gun to take him into custody.
How Police Say The Standoff Unfolded
According to WFMJ, 45-year-old Charles Duke III was spotted swinging a metal IV pole and had a metal patient tray tucked into the front of his jeans as a makeshift shield. Nurses told officers he had already been cleared by a doctor but grew irate and refused to leave. WFMJ reports officers noted blood on Duke’s arms, shirt and jeans, and that he eventually dropped the pole after repeated commands before being tased and taken into custody. Court records listed misdemeanor counts of inducing panic, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, the station says.
Nurses Describe Hallway Panic
The Tribune Chronicle reports that Mercy Health police called for emergency backup after staff alerted them to the disturbance. Nurses led officers down a hallway toward Duke, who police say had barricaded himself behind a patient bed with two oxygen tanks behind him. According to the paper, officers ordered him to drop the pole and get on his knees, but he “squared up” while staying within arm’s reach of the pole, prompting officers to deploy stun weapons to subdue him.
Bond, Arraignment And Conflicting Accounts
WKRC, in coverage later republished by WTTE, reported that Duke was released after posting bond and did appear for an arraignment hearing on Monday. Local court records cited by WFMJ, however, indicated he missed a scheduled arraignment and that a warrant was issued for failure to appear.
Care Disrupted As Hallway Shuts Down
Staff told investigators that the incident interrupted patient care and triggered panic in parts of the building, according to the Tribune Chronicle. The paper reports the scene effectively blocked nurses from providing routine treatment while the hallway was barricaded.
Misdemeanor Counts And What Comes Next
According to WKRC, court records list misdemeanor charges of inducing panic, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Upcoming court filings are expected to clarify the next steps in the case, including the status of any failure-to-appear warrant described in local records.
