Alan Pean- Collective Statement from Healthcare Professionals

This is appalling and sad. There is no place for guns in a hospital, especially to shoot an unarmed patient that obviously needed medication to subdue him, not a bullet.

I can already foresee the usual narrative from the police perspective. This combative suspect had superhuman strength and couldn't be subdued otherwise. At play is the dehumanizing of black Iives. For those of you thinking an exaggeration, think about this. To have resorted to this handling of a person in obvious despair, in a place designed for it, no less, these rent-a-cop knew they could act with the usual impunity that their badges bestowed upon them. Their racial biases never imagined that this man had a family, who didn't fit their obtuse views, hence the dismissal of a fellow doctor aware of the medical history of said patient. Remember black doctors only exist on tv, and we know how that turned out...

This is outrageous! The hospital needs to be held responsible--how can the staff not have been trained in crisis intervention? Psych patients? Unpredictable behavior is common in these patients--they deserve compassion, not assault!

This is an outrage! In the medical community we deal with patients in combative states all the time. There are measures that could be used to restrain the patient. We do not harm patients, we certainly do not shoot patients. This man showed up for HELP.

This is shocking and inappropriate. Guns and tasers have no place in hospitals

I wonder what the nurses and other staff on the psych unit did to provoke this man prior to calling the police. Truthfully, I think the actions of mental "health" workers using seclusion, restraints, and locking people up and not letting them see their family is no different than the police shooting this man. It's quite ironic for the mental health community to be so outraged at the police when they treat patients just as badly, albeit with different methods.

This should not happen in a hospital

I have been a nurse for 20 years and never seen a gun used to subdue a combative patient. This is completely unacceptable, but unfortunately it appears that police officers in this country believe that the only way to deal with someone with a mental health issue is summarily execute them. I am glad that Alan Pean is alive, but now treating him like a criminal is abhorrent.

This is criminal behaviour on the part of hospital security, and negligence of hospital staff, and should be prosecuted. The security guards should be terminated and the clinical staff investigated and potentially dismissed.

As a retired professional mental health advocate with more than 30 years experience, I am appalled at the use of a gun to subdue an obviously emotionally distressed person. It was beyond reckless and totally unconscionable. The words of the petition say it much better than I can.

I knew him as a student at Sharyland. He was and IS an amazing person. I am sick this happened to him. My thoughts and prayers are with Alan.

Fuck the police , real pieces of shit , shooting a patient . Fucking pigs .

I support Alan Pean in whatever he would need and I disapprove the treatment he has received at St. Joseph Hospital.

Hospitals are a place for healing. They should NEVER be a place of violence. This is a tragedy that should have never happened.

Devastating and very scary. We need change. This action was not professional. Everyone needs training, including security and police. Other hospitals have protocols in place for agitated patients.

So in hospitals we must fear for our lives as well as on the street?

It is unacceptable and further investigation of this situation and measures to prevent future occurrences is most definitely the best course. Best wishes to Alan in his recovery.

Heartbreaking

This is completely unacceptable.

Sounds like Texas is too gun happy to even visit. Guns are utilized in hospitals in place of mental health treatment. Do LIVES matter in Texas?