A woman was shot by a police officer early Monday during a confrontation inside a northwest Georgia hospital, authorities said.
Police were called at around 4:45 a.m. to Hamilton Medical Center’s emergency room lobby in Dalton, according to the GBI. Officers responded to a report that a woman, identified as Chevona Doughty, 41, had barricaded herself in an examination room, the state agency said in a news release.
Dalton police said she was damaging equipment and fighting hospital staff as they tried to help her.
“When the officers entered the room, Doughty threw an unknown chemical liquid substance into one of the officer’s eyes, causing the officer to temporarily lose his sight,” the GBI stated. “The officer fired his weapon, shooting Doughty.”
The liquid was hand sanitizer, the GBI said.
Both the woman and officer were treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Doughty was later arrested and charged with aggravated battery-officer, obstruction of officer and criminal damage.
There were no reports of other patients being injured during the incident, which occurred in a room away from anyone in the waiting room area, the GBI said.
Monday’s incident was the 35th officer-involved shooting the GBI has been asked to investigate this year. At this time last year, the state agency had investigated 44 such shootings.
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