Two separate incidents scrambled cops and ambulances early Sunday evening

Two separate incidents shortly after 6 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 24, triggered responses from multiple units of the New Albany Police Department and at least one ambulance.

The occurrences were nearly simultaneous and resulted in numerous sirens and blue and red lights rushing through downtown New Albany.

Both involved medical situations.

NAPD officers were called to the Emergency Department at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union County because of a disturbance there.

Such incidents are not uncommon at the Baptist ER and at every other emergency room in the country. The stories are usually very similar:

Someone is injured or gets sick. The victim is taken to the ER and the victim’s parents, children, significant others, etc., maybe even the person who inflicted the injury, also rush to the ER. People are afraid, panicked, upset because someone is believed to be in danger. Tempers flare. Somebody gets too loud and verbally or physically threatens medical personnel or someone else.

Police respond to call from Emergency Room.

Such incidents, including the one Sunday evening, are usually resolved by a very quick and overwhelming response by law enforcement. The ER fills up with big husky cops and the person who is out of line generally backs down. Not infrequently, drugs and alcohols are a factor, but not always. People are frightened, out of control and need a little help behaving themselves. Such was the case Sunday. NAPD officers quickly swarmed the Baptist ER and, reportedly, nobody suffered significant physical injuries.

The other incident was a medical emergency at an apartment complex at 815 Denmill Road, located between Highway 15 and Highway 178, near the New Albany post office. A person was transported by ambulance from the Denmill address to the Emergency Room at Baptist.