Pennsylvania Mental Patient Pulls Gun on Psychiatrist . . . Psychiatrist Then Pulls His Own Gun and Shoots Patient

We just discussed yesterday the lifting of the injunction on the “Doc for Glocks” law in Florida — a law barring doctors from asking patients about weapons in their home as a general practice. Now Pennsylvania Dr. Lee Silverman has taken the “Docs for Glocks” approach in a more literal direction. After patient Richard Plotts, 49, (left) pulled out a gun and started shooting people, Silverman pulled out his own weapon and engaged Plotts in a gun battle — leading to the wounding of both men but stopping Plotts. Plotts by the way was reportedly upset by the hospital’s gun free zone policy.

Notably, Silverman violated the policy at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in bringing the weapon. However, Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan praised the pistol-packing psychiatrist: “If the doctor did not have a firearm, (and) the doctor did not utilize the firearm, he’d be dead today, and I believe that other people in that facility would also be dead.”

Even police chief Donald Molineux showered him with praise: “Without that firearm [Plotts] could have went out in the hallway and just walked down the offices until he ran out of ammunition.”

Plotts was standing next to caseworker Theresa Hunt across the desk from Silverman when he suddenly pulled out the gun and shot Hunt point blank in the head. Silverman then took out his own .32-caliber semiautomatic Seecamp and unloaded on Plott.

Plotts was reportedly used a rather old weapon to kill Hunt and injure Silverman. It was a .32-caliber Iver Johnson revolver circa 1940. These guns were once advertised as safe for babies to play with. It is not a gun that you see often today outside of a museum.

Plotts appears to have intended to kill Silverman over the hospital gun policy and both men emptied their weapons. Silverman had graze wounds like Plotts that required hospitalization. Plotts has been a patient of Silverman for 20 years. He is now charged with murder and attempted murder.

Source: Philly