Charges laid after man attends St. Thomas hospital emergency department with knife

St. Thomas Elgin-General Hospital on Jan. 28, 2025 (Brent Lale/CTV News London)

A man is facing charges after attending St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital’s emergency department while in possession of a knife in the early morning hours of Thursday.

According to a news release from the St. Thomas Police Service, at approximately 1:15 a.m. Thursday morning police were called after hospital staff reported a man in the emergency department was in possession of a knife and refused to surrender it to security.

Officers arrived and safely secured the weapon, allowing hospital staff to continue care.

Police were contacted again later that morning after staff reported the same man had now been discharged but was refusing to leave the hospital and was in possession of another weapon.

Officers were told the man had left the hospital prior to police arrival and he was located a short distance away.

No injuries were reported.

As a result of the investigation, a 36-year-old St. Thomas man was arrested and charged with the following offences:

• Assault with a weapon
• Uttering threats
• Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose
• Failure to comply with a release order

The accused was held in custody pending a court appearance.