Apparently management forgot to tell the staff about the
armed drill:
Michelle Meeker claims in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Denver that she was terrorized when an armed man confronted her last October at the Heritage Park Care Center in Carbondale, Colorado.
Meeker, a registered nurse, was tending to one of her long-term patients when another employee told her to see what a "suspicious" man sitting in the center's day room wanted, according to the complaint.
The man then showed her a handgun he had in his waistband and ordered her into an unoccupied room.
Although the man told her in hushed tones that he was a police officer, the lawsuit says, Meeker was not informed beforehand of the drill and was unsure whether he was telling the truth.
From the
text of the lawsuit:
42. When the man was approximately four (4) inches away from her, he put one hand
on the gun and placed his other hand on her back, and told her again to get in the room.
43. Ms. Meeker began to cry.
44. Her heart began to race and her breathing became shallow and constricted. Ms. Meeker began to shake with terror, fearing that she would never see her daughter again.
45. In a desperate plea for her life, she begged the man not to hurt her, telling him she had a young child.
46. As Ms. Meeker cried and begged for her life, the man said in a hushed tone that this was a “drill.”
47. Confused and unable to process what he had said, Ms. Meeker responded, “What?”
48. The man again repeated “This is a drill.” Again, Ms. Meeker asked, “What?”
49. The man then said in a hushed tone that he was a Carbondale Police Officer and
that this was a drill, and that he needed Ms. Meeker to get into the room so that he could continue the “drill.”
50. In a state of total shock, confusion, and fear, Ms. Meeker complied with his order and went into the room, still not knowing if the man was truly a police officer and still scared that she would not leave there alive.
The Heritage Park Care Center gave
9News in Colorado a
statement:
Because the safety of the residents, associates and their families at Heritage Park Care Center is our top priority, we conduct routine safety drills to prepare for any type of situation we might face. Recently, we conducted an armed intruder drill at our facility with the assistance of a trained, reputable safety consulting group. Local police had also been notified in advance and were on site during the drill. Unfortunately, the training exercise alarmed some at our facility. We have reassured everyone that the situation was safe and controlled. Heritage Park Care Center is not only committed to providing quality care to those in our community, but to also keeping our residents and associates safe. We are proud to be a member of this community, and we pledge to continue our quest for excellence.
Needless to say, the woman was traumatized from the event. Video from
9News in Colorado.