Johnie Wayne Roth, 77, Held Nurse Hostage at VA Hospital in Denver

Denver, Colorado – In a shocking incident at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Denver, 77-year-old Johnie Wayne Roth held a nurse practitioner hostage at gunpoint on December 3, 2015. According to the arrest affidavit, Roth had a medical appointment with the nurse practitioner in Ambulatory Care when he produced a handgun from his bag.

Roth took over the room, pointed the gun at his head, and waved it around the room. He had additional ammunition in his bag and intended to fire shots into the ceiling to get the VA Police to respond. Fortunately, the nurse practitioner was able to call for help, and the VA Police responded quickly.

Acting Deputy Chief, VA Police, established a rapport with Roth and convinced him to let his hostage go and drop his weapon. Other responding officers, who were outside the door, heard the movement of furniture and stormed into the room. Once inside, the Deputy Chief instructed them to stand down as he was able to recover the weapon, a .22 caliber six-shot revolver, from Roth.

The VA Police took Roth into custody, and he was arrested by the Veterans Affairs Police Department. The subsequent investigation was conducted by the VA Office of the Inspector General. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason St. Julien.

Roth faces not more than 20 years in federal prison and up to a $250,000 fine if convicted. He made his initial appearance on December 7, 2015, and was advised of his rights as well as the charge pending against him. He is currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshals pending a detention hearing scheduled for December 10, 2015, and a preliminary hearing has been scheduled for December 21, 2015.

The charges contained in the Criminal Complaint are allegations, and Roth is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Anyone accused of committing a federal felony violation of law has a Constitutional right to be indicted by a grand jury.

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