Wednesday morning update on the situation at UW Hospital and Clinics

Campus back to normal today after Tuesday incident

UPDATE (9 a.m., Sept. 26):  UW–Madison police and other law enforcement agencies continue to believe that Jesse A. Miller, the person of interest in Tuesday’s incident at UW Hospital and Clinics, does not represent a continuing threat to members of the UW–Madison campus community.

UW police believe that Tuesday’s incidents reflect a cry for help and are asking Miller to call (608) 264-COPS in order to come forward to get support and services.

Miller is not a student and has no UW affiliation.

At 11 p.m, Tuesday, campus operations returned to normal. Students should plan to attend classes, all employees should have reported to work and anyone with an appointment at UW Hospital should plan to arrive at the designated time. All scheduled university events will continue as planned.

The UW Hospital and Clinics, as well as medical buildings on the West Campus, will continue to have heightened security.

"This seems to have been a situation focused around the UW Hospital that we have responded to," says Provost Patrick Farrell. "We want to thank the community for its patience and assistance as we work through this incident."

The university took numerous steps Tuesday to secure and inform the campus community, including securing numerous buildings, canceling a women’s soccer game and reaching out to students, faculty and staff through mass email, Facebook and media briefings.

Anyone with information about Miller should call (608) 264-COPS. Students with questions or needing assistance should contact the Offices of the Dean of Students at (608) 263-5700.

UPDATE (11 p.m.): UW–Madison Police have information to believe that
Jesse A. Miller, the person of interest in the emergency situation
today at UW Hospital and Clinics, is a danger to himself, but not to
members of the UW–Madison campus community.

Based on the latest information as of 11 p.m. today, campus
operations are expected to return to normal Wednesday morning (Sept.
26), with continued heightened security at UW Hospital and Clinics and
in the West Campus Area.

Students should plan to attend normal morning classes, all employees
should report to work and anyone with an appointment at UW Hospital
should plan to arrive at the designated time. Check the university Web site, or your local news for the most
up-to-date information.

"This has been an unusual and troubling situation, but we have
confidence that UW Police and other police agencies are handling this
situation well," says Provost Pat Farrell. "I want to thank students,
faculty and staff for heeding campus safety alerts and spreading
important information this evening."

Police believe that Tuesday’s incidents reflect a cry for help and
are asking Jesse Miller to call (608) 264-COPS in order to come forward
to get support and services.

 

UPDATE (10:30 p.m.): UW–Madison Police officials late Tuesday
received an updated image of Jesse A. Miller, the person of interest in
the case of a man who claimed to have a gun and threatened suicide at
the UW Hospital and Clinics.

The new image can be downloaded here. Media are
encouraged to publish the photo to promote efforts to apprehend the
individual.

As of 10 p.m. today, the UW Hospital and Clinics announced it was
open for business as usual. The Emergency Department has been taken off
of diversion status. Shuttles will be available for the evening shift
for employees going to outlying parking areas.

UW-Madison will be providing updates on the case on its home page  and will send news releases as warranted.

 
UPDATE (8:45 p.m.): UW–Madison will help assist students in getting home by paying for cab fares to their local residence, tonight, Tuesday, Sept. 25. To get a cab ride, call Union Cab, (608) 242-2000, Badger Cab, 256-5566, or Madison Cab 257-8294.

UPDATE (8:37 p.m.): The UW Hospital and Clinics announces the following updates:

• The Emergency Department is currently on diversion status but is accepting trauma patients;
• The Hospital is at this time fully staffed;
• Employees who are scheduled to work tonight are to come to work. They should park in the Lot 79 ramp, bring their ID and use the hospital entrance to enter the hospital;
• Individuals coming to pick up patients should come to the hospital via University Bay Drive (view on campus map), and enter the Emergency Department entrance area to pick up the patient;
• No visitors are allowed until further notice.

UPDATE (8:23 p.m.): UW Police and City of Madison Police are continuing to search for a suicidal man who claims to have a gun. At this time, police are asking people to avoid the campus area. If you are currently on campus studying or attending a campus activity, please stay indoors. If you must leave the campus area, do so by traveling in groups or by campus buses, which are still operating.

UPDATE (6:45 p.m.): All classes this evening that are held west
of the Veterinary Medicine building are canceled. The UW soccer
game scheduled for tonight at the McCliman Track and Soccer Complex has
also been canceled.

UW Police and City of Madison Police are currently searching for a suicidal man who claims to have a gun. The search is focused on the area of UW Hospital at 600 Highland Drive. Police are asking people to stay away from the area.

The entrances to the Hospital are blocked, but the emergency room remains open. The emergency room can be accessed from University Avenue to University Bay Drive.

Police are seeking Jesse A. Miller, a 19-year-old white male, with brown hair, 6 feet tall, 160 lbs. Miller may be moving in the west campus area and armed.  

The initial emergency call came at roughly 4:40 p.m. to the Dane County Crisis Center about a person at the top of the UW Hospital parking ramp who was apparently suicidal. As officers were responding, new information was provided that the person had a firearm and intended to be killed by a police officer.

Two additional emergency calls were made within a short time later that police believe were initiated by the person of interest. A call came into the 911 center that there were shots fired at University and Highland avenues. Next, there was a call of a bomb threat called in by a person who claimed to be a security officer with a local firm.

Tune to this new page or to local media for additional information as it develops this evening.

If you have any information that may be helpful to UW Police, please call (608) 265-6042.