Mourning the police officer shot and killed in a hospital

Sgt. Heather Glenn spent nearly 20 years in law enforcement. (Photo: Tell City police department)

Neighbors, elected officials and police officers from around the country are paying tribute to Sgt. Heather Glenn.

Authorities say Glenn, a member of the Tell City, Indiana police department, was fatally shot by a suspect in Perry County Memorial Hospital in southern Indiana.

Police say the suspect was accused of domestic violence and shot Glenn when she tried to apprehend him July 3, The Associated Press reports. The shooting occurred inside the hospital, near the emergency department, the AP reported. Officers shot and killed the suspect, police said.

More than 2,000 residents attended a candlelight vigil at the town’s city hall Monday night, and community members left flowers on her police car, local police said. Glenn had worked for the police department and the Perry County Sheriff’s Office for nearly 20 years.

After the vigil, the Tell City police posted a message saying it “was humbling to see the number of people who took time to pay respects to our community, our agency, and to our own hero, Sergeant Heather Glenn.” Police officers escorted Glenn to a local funeral home Wednesday.

Perry County Memorial Hospital continued to serve patients in need of emergency but temporarily closed most services. The hospital reopened Wednesday.

Jared Stimpson, CEO of Perry County Memorial Hospital, said in a statement posted on Facebook that the hospital joins the community “in grieving the loss of Officer Glenn.”

“We are grateful to all members of law enforcement who bravely put their lives at risk to protect patients and employees of hospitals.”

Police identified the suspect as Sean Hubert, 34. A woman went to the hospital for treatment for injuries suffered in an incident of domestic violence, and she informed a staff member that Hubert was headed to the hospital. Glenn tried to use an electronic device to subdue Herbert and place him under arrest, but the device was not effective, CBS News reported.

Messages of condolences came from police departments across the nation. The Louisville (Ky.) police department posted a message saying, “Rest easy sister. We have the watch.” The New York City police said, “Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family, friends, and co-workers of Sergeant Heather Glenn.”

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said in a statement, “She dedicated nearly 20 years to serving the citizens of Perry County and Tell City and now her family needs our support and love more than ever.”

U.S. Sen. Todd Young, R-Indiana, said in a statement, “I am deeply saddened to hear about the death of Tell City Police Sgt. Heather Glenn. I offer my condolences to her loved ones and the Tell City community.”

Hospitals and health systems have witnessed a number of fatal shootings within the past year.

A CDC employee was fatally shot at a medical complex owned by Northside Hospital in Atlanta in May. Four others were wounded in the shooting.

A nurse and a social worker were fatally shot at Methodist Dallas Medical Center in Dallas, Texas in October 2022. Authorities said the suspect was assaulting his girlfriend in the maternity unit and shot the victims after they entered the patient’s room.

Four people were killed in a shooting at a medical building on the campus of the Saint Francis Health System in Tulsa, Okla. in June 2022. Authorities said the suspect was upset because of postoperative pain. Two doctors, a receptionist and a patient were killed.

In January 2023, a woman fatally shot her terminally ill husband at AdventHealth Daytona Beach Hospital in Florida, authorities said. Although no one else was injured in that incident, hospital staff scrambled to evacuate patients.