Distraught man causes partial evacuation at Houston-area hospital

A man distraught about his son’s condition at a hospital in the Houston suburb of Tomball on Saturday caused a commotion that led to an evacuation of part of the facility, in what was initially believed to be a hostage situation, police said.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement it did not know whether the man, who was with his son in the critical care unit at Tomball Regional Medical Center, was armed. The evacuation involved areas around the room where the father and son are located, police said.

The Sheriff’s Office initially reported the man had taken two hostages, but later clarified and said that no hostages were being held.

The man is the distraught father of a patient, the Sheriff’s Office said on its Twitter page.

Tomball Regional Medical Center has more than 350 beds and employs 238 active physicians, according to its website.

Reuters