Patient Shot At VA Hospital ID'd By Jackson County Sheriff

WHITE CITY, OR — Veterans Affairs officers shot a "combative patient" at a VA rehabilitation facility in White City Thursday morning. The patient, who is expected to survive, was identified by law enforcement authorities Friday.

Medford resident Gilbert Matthew Negrete, 34, is still being monitored at Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford. When he is well enough to transport, officials said he'll be taken to the Jackson County Jail for unlawful use of a weapon, menacing, disorderly conduct, and violating a restraining order.

Jackson County Sheriff's deputies were dispatched around 8:30 a.m. Jan. 25 to White City, a rural community just north of Medford, after receiving reports of a combative patient at the Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center & Clinics, located at 8495 Crater Lake Hwy.

At the scene, deputies learned police from the VA facility were attempting to control the patient — identified as Negrete — when an altercation broke out.

Negrete had come into the facility's Building 201 and began "pacing around the admissions area … in an agitated state," officials said, noting Negrete was not voicing any opinions or complaints about the VA or health care but rather was making statements that were "paranoid and generally incoherent."

When VA police arrived to get the situation under control, Negrete allegedly pulled a knife and "confronted" one of the facility's employees.

"Staff members and police officers attempted to calm Negrete for several minutes and called for assistance," Jackson County Sheriff's spokeswoman Sgt. Julie Denney said in a statement. "VA Police used multiple applications of less-lethal force options in an attempt to subdue and disarm Negrete."

Negrete, however, only became further agitated and ultimately combative with officers, which led one unidentified VA officer to fire a single round into Negrete's chest.

First aid was provided until paramedics could load and transport Negrete via Mercy Flights. VA officials are conducting an internal investigation, Denney said.

This, apparently, was not the first interaction with Negrete for Jackson County law enforcement. According to Denney, Negrete has had a rough week.

"Negrete was arrested by Medford Police on Jan. 23 after a short vehicle pursuit. He was lodged in jail on charges of (driving while intoxicated on a controlled substance) and attempting to elude police in a vehicle," Denney said. "Negrete was released from jail on Jan. 24 due to capacity restrictions.

"On the afternoon of Jan. 24, JCSO deputies responded to a report of menacing at a towing business on Table Rock Road," she continued, adding that police believe that individual was Negrete once again. "An employee reported being threatened with a 'butcher knife' by a man who wanted to retrieve his vehicle from the impound lot … (but) he left in a vehicle before deputies' arrival and was not located."

So, just this week, Negrete was arrested on Tuesday for DUII, released Wednesday and is considered a suspect for a crime that was committed that afternoon, then shot on Thursday at the VA facility.

This post will be updated when more information is made available.

Gilbert Negrete booking photo via Jackson County Sheriff's Office