Denver VA patient accused of taking nurse hostage

Authorities say a patient used a gun to take a nurse hostage at the Denver VA hospital and was arrested without any shots being fired.

The incident happened Thursday in an exam room in the hospital after the man arrived for an outpatient appointment.

Hospital spokeswoman Nicole Alberico said VA police were able to subdue him and seize the weapon within about 10 minutes of learning about the situation.

However, it’s not clear how long he and the nurse were in the room before that.

The hospital isn’t releasing the man’s name because of medical privacy laws. Alberico says the hospital will ask federal agencies to help investigate.

Patients aren’t screened for weapons before entering the hospital.