RAVENNA, Ohio — The Ravenna VA Clinic will remain closed Wednesday following an “emergency situation” in which staff had been sheltering in place. That situation, however, has since been resolved.
It started around 8:15 a.m. when a VA employee was walking into work and noticed a man outside kneeling on the ground, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
“The VA employee immediately notified the clinic’s security officer who went out to talk with the man,” the press release explained. “At that time, the man fired one shot into the air near the flagpole outside the clinic. The security guard ran back into the building, secured the building, called local authorities and began enacting the VA’s emergency response plan.”
Police responded to the scene at 6751 North Chestnut Street where the man surrendered. No injuries were reported.
“VA provides regular training to staff on RUN-HIDE-FIGHT response to active threats and this training played a key role in keeping everyone safe during this incident,” officials noted in the press release.
Police say Ravenna High School was also placed on lockdown during the situation as traffic on North Chestnut Street was temporarily rerouted.
The man – who police say admitted to dealing with a recent death in the family – did not threaten officers or anyone else before surrendering without incident.
There are currently no charges.
As a result of the VA’s closure, all patients with appointments for Wednesday will be called to re-schedule.
“We are thankful that VA staff and local law enforcement acted swiftly and appropriately to ensure the safety of all involved today,” said Jill Dietrich Mellon, JD, MBA, FACHE, VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System CEO. “We would also like to applaud the swift actions of our VA employee who noticed the man in distress and alerted authorities, and the actions of our security guard to keep everyone safe. We all play a role in caring for those in crisis.”
Here’s the initial statement provided to 3News shortly after 9:30 a.m. from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs regarding the "emergency situation":
The Ravenna VA Clinic will be closed today, May 4 due to an emergency situation. Patients are being called to re-schedule their appointments. VA is asking that patients do not report to the clinic today while local police are responding to an emergency situation onsite. Staff at the clinic are sheltering in place. The clinic is located at 6751 N. Chestnut St. Ravenna, Ohio 44266.
More information will be provided as it becomes available regarding the reopening of the VA Clinic. Please contact the Ravenna Police Department for additional details regarding the emergency situation.
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Editor's note: Video in the player above was originally published in an unrelated story on April 28, 2022.
