CNN
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Three employees of a Los Angeles County area hospital were stabbed Friday by a man who has now barricaded himself inside the hospital, the Los Angeles Police Department said during a news conference.
LAPD Deputy Chief Alan S. Hamilton said a call came at 3:50 p.m. to a fatal weapon attack at the Encino Hospital Medical Center emergency room, where the suspect stabbed three hospital staff. The condition of two of the victims is currently stable, while the condition of the third is critical and is currently undergoing surgery, he said.
Police said the suspect has now been locked inside the hospital and no longer poses a threat to the community, although he is believed to still have the knife. Hamilton said the hospital’s first floor and other related areas had been evacuated as well as the office buildings across the street.
The suspect is an adult male who has had multiple contacts with police, Hamilton said, including two arrests for assaulting officers. It was not immediately clear whether the suspect’s motive was to stab, but police said it appeared he wanted some form of treatment.
According to Hamilton, officers are stationed in key areas of the building while police try to get the suspect out of the barricade.