Police investigating death of patient at W. Virginia psych hospital

January 7, 2012

The West Virginia State Police is investigating the death of a male patient at Mildred Mitchell-Bateman Hospital on Norway Avenue in Huntington.

Sgt. R. D. Perry said the patient was injured on the evening of Dec. 28, then transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

"They did have a death there, and they told us to do an investigation," Perry said. "It's ongoing."

He said they are awaiting results of an autopsy, but they will be meeting with the prosecuting attorney's office to discuss the details surrounding the incident.

Perry declined to discuss details of what happened, only saying that two employees were involved. He believed the two had been suspended, pending the outcome of the investigation. But he referred questions on the employees to the hospital.

The hospital is run by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services.

Source: "Psychiatric hospital death under investigation," The Herald-Dispatch, January 2, 2012.