BRADENTON, Fla. — A woman was arrested at Blake Hospital in Bradenton after a staff member observed her actively loading a firearm.
Brandeton Police said on June 22 around 2 a.m., a staff member at Blake Hospital in Bradenton saw Jamekeyra Ulisa Levertt-Chapman on an emergency room surveillance camera loading a handgun in her purse. The staff member called 911 to report the incident and Bradenton Police arrived shortly after.
"Someone was watching the live surveillance feed from within the hospital and they noticed what appeared to be a woman loading a firearm in the lobby. They immediately called 911 and at the same time, their security guard started to move toward her," said Meredith Frameli with the Bradenton Police Department.
According to Bradenton Police, Levertt-Chapman was approached by a security guard and the two began to talk. The security guard confiscated the gun from Levertt-Chapman's purse. Police said when officers arrived, the staff member identified Levertt-Chapman and she was arrested.
"This is exactly what should happen. It’s a see something, say something. They were monitoring that surveillance video. They immediately notified their security as well as us, the moment they saw something that did not look safe, that looked very suspicious," said Frameli.
Bradenton Police said the gun was a semi-automatic weapon with an incorporated laser. Authorities said Levertt-Chapman's purse contained one drum-style magazine, two other magazines, and a total of 58 rounds. Additional witnesses told police they saw Levertt-Chapman loading what appeared to be bullets into a magazine.
Levertt-Chapman was arrested and charged with two felonies, introducing a firearm into a hospital and possession of a concealed weapon without a weapon permit.
A spokesperson for Blake Hospital sent ABC Action News the following statement:
"HCA Florida Blake Hospital is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for our patients, caregivers and visitors. We have numerous processes and procedures in place to support this commitment and our caregivers are trained to respond to a wide range of situations. We are very appreciative of the appropriate actions taken by everyone involved, including a visitor who led others from the area, our caregiver who contacted the police, our security guard who calmly explained the law and the Bradenton Police Department officers who responded quickly."
