A man was accused of stabbing a doctor and two nurses inside Encino Hospital Medical Center on Friday.
According to the L.A. Police Department, he identified himself as a patient prior to the attack.
He was taken into custody late Friday after a four-hour standoff. He was later identified as 35-year-old Ashkan Amirsoleymani.
The man was arrested on three counts of attempted murder. Bail has been set at $3 million.
The police failed to negotiate with the man who hid out near the emergency room after the stabbing took place.
The block of Ventura Blvd. where the hospital is located transformed into a chaotic scene as SWAT teams moved in.
Investigators estimate that the attack took place at 3:50 PM. One ultrasound technician saw the attacker just before he committed the violent act.
“He looked high. He just looked very anxious. He was sweating a lot. Half his shirt was drenched with sweat. He had a dog with him,” the technician said.
The police eventually contained the attacker in the room near the ER where he was hiding out. People evacuated the building in front of spectators who were shocked by what they saw.
“We saw people coming out. Bloody people, kind of. Regular patients too. I think they were kind of evacuating,” said one witness.
“I’m praying for all their families. The doctors, the nurses, the patients. I’m disgusted by all the violence that’s been happening lately,” said another.
Two of the victims were treated at and released from Dignity Health Northridge Medical Center. One victim remains in stable condition.
“We eventually had to employ some of our other methods outside of negotiations and he was taken into custody. He was being transported to a local hospital for now, for injuries that appear to be self-inflicted. He’ll be treated there and subsequently booked,” said Deputy Chief Alan of the LAPD Valley Bureau.
Police revealed that the attacker had been arrested twice in the past for assaulting police officers among other run-ins with the law. He was most recently arrested last year.
The attacker acted alone and did not appear to be targeting anyone in particular. The weapon recovered at the scene was described as a knife with a 3-to-4-inch blade.
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