MANSFIELD, OHIO — A police officer went to visit an urgent care facility with an eye problem, only to be held at gunpoint by police and escorted out of the building.
The Plymouth officer, Wayne Liggett Sr., called ahead to make sure the facility, Walk In Urgent Care, 1341 S. Trimble Road, had equipment to look at his eye. He stated he was seeing floaters and flashes of light in his vision and knew something wasn’t right. They told him to come in.
In a private room, an employee asked him to remove his jacket to take his vitals. As a courtesy, Liggett said he told the person he was carrying his duty weapon under his shirt, in case they would see it. He also had written down on the sign-in form he was employed as a Plymouth police officer, he said.
The employee took his vitals, said the doctor would be in soon and left.
The next knock at the door Liggett didn’t expect.
Several Mansfield Police Department officers told him to come out slowly with his hands up. More than one of them were pointing their firearm at him, he said.
Liggett said he was placed in handcuffs while police verified his identity as an auxiliary officer, which took only minutes. He was carrying his badge and ID in his wallet.
It turns out that Liggett had a tear in his retina and needed surgery, which he received by week’s end after visiting his eye doctor (who was happy to see and treat him).
[ad location=”Posts – Middle Post”]
Even after verification of his identity, he was still asked to leave the building and was refused service.
The owner of the facility denied comment. Surprise.
It brings up the valid question: what if this were to happen during a more serious medical need and an officer or concealed carrier came into this urgent care facility? Are they going to refuse treatment and let a person die on the floor?
“Officers carry to be prepared, and citizens do too,” [Plymouth Police Chief Charles] Doan said. “If you have a concealed carry and get hurt, are they going to say, ‘Get him out of here?’ “
