ODESSA, Texas —
Officers with the Odessa Police Department arrested a man who forced his way into an Odessa Regional Medical Center Hospital nursery and assaulted patients and staff on Monday.
According to an OPD spokesperson, officers responded to ORMC in reference to a disturbance.
When they got to the scene, officers made contact with 18-year-old Marcus McCowan Jr. McCowan got aggressive toward the officers.
He resisted them and tried to take one of their guns from its holster. Eventually McCowan was arrested.
McCowan has been charged with two counts of attempted capital murder, as well as one count each of assault on a public servant, attempt to take a weapon from an officer, possession of a controlled substance, resisting arrest, criminal trespass and assault by physical contact.
According to an arrest affidavit, McCowan was initially in the Labor and Delivery area of the hospital because his girlfriend was in labor. He then made unwanted contact with one of the nurses and was asked to leave the area.
The nurses saw McCowan running back and forth in the halls in an odd and unreasonable manner. He then saw a mother and her infant, and charged toward some of the nurses in an attempt to get into the nursery.
He was able to get in by knocking down one of the nurses, which led to his assaulting a public servant charge. In the nursery, McCowan proceeded to choke an infant until the nurses were able to remove his grip.
McCowan soon after turned his attention to another infant in the nursery and choked that infant. One of the nurses said that she heard McCowan say the word "die" as he continued to grip onto the infant's neck.
One of the nurses and a hospital security officer were finally able to release the grip of McCowan.
Once the OPD officers arrived, they were informed that McCowan was the subject who was choking infants and they placed him under arrest.
ORMC President Stacey Brown released the following statement on the situation:
"I want to express my sincere gratitude to those who responded to the incident last evening, especially our nurses, therapists and security team who worked diligently to protect innocent babies and others. The staff and physicians, along with the response team from the Odessa Police Department, are incredible heroes and we are all so grateful to each of them. Our attention is now focused on caring for and supporting those who were impacted by this including our patients, their families, and our staff."
The investigation is still ongoing and we will continue to update this story as we receive more information.