An employee is suing Northville Township, Mich.-based Hawthorn Center for instructing him to act as an active shooter in an unannounced drill that resulted in him being handcuffed and detained, Click On Detroit reported May 17.
The Hawthorn Center is a state-run psychiatric hospital for children. On Dec. 21, Brandon Woodruff, a laborer and assistant to the skilled trades workers, was instructed by his supervisor to join a white male colleague to act as armed intruders in an unannounced drill. According to the lawsuit, Mr. Woodruff and his wife were expecting a child and he was afraid of losing his job if he refused to participate.
The colleagues were told to walk around the facility and ensure every room was locked and the people inside hidden, and to note anyone who was not hidden or barricaded. The pair, dressed in winter clothes, walked the building without any weapons or objects. According to the lawsuit, two announcements were made. The first stated there was an active intruder in the building and the second announced "two active intruders, one Caucasian male, one African American male, armed with AR 15s, shots fired."
Few of the staff and none of the patients were told it was a drill, nor were police notified a drill would occur, according to the report. 911 calls reported an active shooter, and 22 police officers from four departments rushed to the scene. They arrived with tactical weapons and heavy gear.
Mr. Woodruff and his colleague exited the building after completing their task, where they were met by officers. They were ordered to get on the ground, where they were both searched, then handcuffed for at least 30 minutes while the police sorted out the situation, according to the report.
The lawsuit said the following email was sent to staff that evening from hospital director Victoria Petti, PhD: "This morning an active intruder alert was announced on the overhead system. Although this was a drill it was not announced as such. Understandably, many in the building became frightened and some contacted 911. A tactical team responded to these calls and arrived armed and in full gear. I want to convey how deeply sorry I am that this occurred and for the stress it's caused."
Mr. Woodruff said the event caused him trauma that has resulted in depression, panic attacks and suicidal ideation. His lawsuit accuses Hawthorn Center of gross negligence, intentional infliction of emotional damage and false imprisonment and seeks financial compensation.
Lynn Sutfin from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement to Click On Detroit: "The health and safety of our staff and patients is our top concern. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services understands that our patients, staff and community were affected by the incident in December. We commend our staff who worked quickly to engage law enforcement partners and the responding agencies who worked to resolve the situation. The Joint Commission requires the state psychiatric hospitals conduct a hazard vulnerability analysis at least every two years to identify potential emergencies, including active shooter drills. MDHHS is working with township law enforcement and the Michigan State Police on an improved active intruder training and drill process as part of updating its emergency operations policy."