MILWAUKEE, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Milwaukee police have charged a man who prompted a hospital lockdown with child abuse for allegedly dropping or throwing an infant during the terrifying ordeal.
Ashanti Hendricks, 22, had previously been charged with two counts of bail jumping and possessing a gun as a felon after the Nov. 14 incident at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. He has now been charged with physical abuse of a child, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Monday.
The incident began when a woman called police to express her concern that Hendricks, who police said has a history of abusive behavior, was visiting the infant. Police officer Alexis Acosta arrived in the hospital room and found Hendricks sitting on a futon bed holding the baby. She instructed him to put the child back in its car seat and show her his hands, and Hendricks asked Acosta to take the baby. Acosta said she pursued Hendricks when he jumped up and bolted from the room without the baby.
After a brief chase during which Hendricks displayed a gun, police chased and shot at the suspect in the hospital, hitting him in the arm before subduing him, the Journal Sentinel said.
Nurses found the baby laying face-up on the hospital room floor about 3 feet from the futon bed. The child was crying but showed no outward signs of trauma. Tests later showed the child had a fractured skull consistent with being dropped from a short distance, police reports indicate.
Hendricks waived a preliminary hearing and has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following the incident, the hospital was placed on lockdown while police investigated what had happened.
