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Orlando police kill unarmed man who was threatening others at hospital, chief says

Posted at 4:24 PM, Oct 01, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-01 16:24:54-04

Orlando police shot and killed a hospital patient who claimed he was armed — but wasn’t.

The ordeal started Monday morning when Brian Baker, 35 and a patient at Orlando Regional Medical Center, started telling staff that he had a gun and would “shoot anyone who comes near him,” Orlando police said.

At one point, Baker said something like, “It’s going to end today,” Police Chief John Mina said.

Baker claimed he was a suspect in homicide case, though police are not sure which case he was referring to.

When police tried to approach him, Baker “made movements consistent with pulling or reaching for a firearm,” Mina said. That’s when three police officers shot and killed the man — who turned out to be unarmed.

It does not appear that Baker has any ties to Central Florida, Orlando police said Monday. A bus ticket showed he was traveling from West Palm Beach to Kentucky, and was in Orlando on a layover, police said.

It’s not clear why he was admitted to the hospital.

All three officers will be on paid administrative leave as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigates.

No one else was injured in the incident.