DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young is providing new details about his concerns with how a violent suspect was handled at AdventHealth Daytona Beach after an Ormond Beach police officer was shot inside the hospital.
In a follow-up statement Tuesday, Young said AdventHealth leadership contacted him shortly after Monday’s news conference and has been receptive to discussing what happened.
Young also clarified that his concerns are not directed at hospital employees as a whole.
“The other medical personnel our officers encountered were professional, helpful, and cooperative,” Young wrote.
Instead, Young said his concern centers on the interaction between officers and one emergency room physician while they were trying to maintain control of what he described as an extraordinarily high-risk patient.
Officer shot during struggle with suspect
As Channel 9 previously reported, Michael Hightower, 40, was taken to AdventHealth Daytona Beach after police accused him of critically injuring an elderly husband and wife outside Daytona College and fleeing from officers.
Police said Hightower was taken into custody following a multi-agency search and brought to the hospital for a medical evaluation.
While at the hospital early Monday, investigators said Hightower became involved in a struggle with Ormond Beach police Officer Austin Long.
Police said Hightower gained control of Long’s firearm and the gun fired, striking Long in the leg.
Long suffered injuries that were not considered life-threatening and is expected to recover.
Earlier Channel 9 coverage of the officer shooting
Chief says suspect remained combative
Young said Daytona Beach officers arrived at the hospital after Long had already been shot and found Hightower continuing to behave aggressively.
According to Young, several officers from the Daytona Beach and Ormond Beach police departments were needed to physically restrain Hightower while they waited for additional medical evaluation and clearance.
Young said officers were dealing with someone accused of severely injuring the elderly couple, fleeing police and then becoming involved in a struggle that resulted in an officer being shot.
He said Hightower’s continued behavior created a safety concern for police, hospital employees, patients and Hightower himself.
Watch commander had to find physician, chief says
Young emphasized that police do not expect doctors to skip medically necessary examinations or treatment.
Instead, he said his concern was with communication and coordination between medical staff and officers responsible for keeping Hightower in custody.
Young said officers were actively trying to control Hightower while waiting for the physician to return.
After a period of time, Young said his watch commander went to another area of the hospital to find the physician and determine what was causing the delay and what still needed to be done before Hightower could be medically cleared.
Chief describes interaction as ‘hostile and dismissive’
Young said the interaction that followed became “unnecessarily confrontational.”
According to the chief, the physician spoke to the watch commander in a manner Young considered “hostile and dismissive” while the commander tried to explain the continuing safety concerns.
Young praised the watch commander for remaining professional during the exchange.
Young said the takeaway should not be that medical personnel need to compromise patient care for law enforcement.
Rather, he said situations involving a violent and combative person require clear communication, security measures and coordination between police and medical personnel.
AdventHealth leadership contacts police chief
Young said AdventHealth leadership reached out almost immediately after his comments Monday and has been willing to discuss the concerns and review what happened.
“My objective is not to assign blame to an entire hospital or medical profession based upon the actions of one individual,” Young wrote.
He said the goal is to determine what could have been handled differently and improve safety if a similar situation happens again.
Monday’s incident began hours earlier at Daytona College, where police say Hightower attacked a 79-year-old man and 74-year-old woman after they responded to a burglary alarm.
Channel 9 reported that Hightower is facing two counts of attempted felony murder in connection with that attack. Read the full timeline of the attack, arrest and hospital shooting
The Daytona Beach Police Department is continuing to investigate the hospital shooting.
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