Police standoff locks down Longview WA hospital

LONGVIEW, Wash. (AP) — Longview police say an hourlong standoff with an armed woman outside a hospital emergency room entrance ended when the woman shot herself in the leg Friday night.

The hospital was locked down during the standoff and diverted ambulances and patients to other hospitals.

Neither police nor St. John Medical Center officials would identify the 54-year-old woman or discuss her condition.

Capt. Robert Huhta tells the Daily News that the woman drove up to the emergency room entrance about 7:15 p.m., called 911 and threatened to harm herself.

Armed with a small handgun, she remained in her white car while officers tried to talk to her. Huhta says that shortly after 8 p.m. she stepped out of the vehicle and fired one shot into her leg.

Hospital spokesman Randy Querin says the emergency room entrance is the only patient entrance at night.

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Information from: The Daily News, http://www.tdn.com