Code White: Kelowna man allegedly assaults patient at KGH, punches arresting officer

An alleged incident at Kelowna General Hospital on Sunday saw a patient assaulted, a security guard injured and an RCMP officer punched in the face.

According to police, Interior Health requested a police presence at the hospital to assist in the response to a Code White, which signals aggression.

A patient, now identified as 42-year-old Justin Ryan Robinson of Kelowna, had allegedly assaulted another patient.

In the process, a security guard that stopped the incident sustained a minor injury to his face from “a small metal object” used by Robinson, police said.

Officers arrived, arrested Robinson and brought him to the cells at the Kelowna RCMP detachment, but the incident did not stop there.

“During (Robinson’s) booking-in process and once his handcuffs were removed, he punched one of the arresting officers in the face,” explained an RCMP release.

“(Robinson) was arrested a second time, now for assaulting a peace officer, and was secured in cells pending a court appearance.”

The accused will remain in custody until his next court appearance on July 10, when he will face two charges of assault with a weapon and one charge of assaulting a police officer.

“The RCMP would like to thank and commend the personnel and security staff for their quick response that likely prevented further injuries,” noted Cst. Mike Della-Paolera.

Interior Health has chosen not to speak about any additional details regarding the incident, but noted that they take any incidents of aggression seriously.

The health authority added that they recognize the impact of this incident on all patients and staff who were involved and are providing follow-up support to those who need it.