MEAWW.COM / NEWS / CRIME & JUSTICE

Bharat Narumanchi: Doctor who took hostages at Texas hospital dead after killing female pediatrician in 6-hour standoff

Hours long negotiation between the doctor and SWAT team failed, and eventually a robot was sent inside that found the bodies

Update:

The male doctore was later identified as Dr. Bharat Narumanchi, 43, a pediatrician who was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer. Police records show he had resided in multiple states and that his last state of residence was California. Police are suspecting that the terminal cancer diagnosis had a large role to play in his fatal actions.

The victim was identified as Dr. Katherine Lindley Dodson. No other connection between Dr Dodson and Narumanchi has been found so far apart from the brief interaction when he was at the office to apply for the position.

AUSTIN, TEXAS: Two people, a male doctor and a female pediatrician, have died after a reported hostage situation at a Texas children's hospital that lasted about six hours. The names of the dead people have not been released yet, nor the reasons for their death, but The Daily Mail reported that the male doctor armed with a gun went inside the Children's Medical Group on Tuesday afternoon, January 26. After entering the premises of the facility, he allegedly held the female pediatrician hostage.

A negotiation followed between the doctor and the SWAT team for hours, but it failed, and eventually a robot was sent inside that found the bodies. People who live close to the hospital said they saw other doctors running to save their lives. “They were pretty traumatized. A couple of them needed masks, so I ran out and grabbed some of the plain masks for them. They were all scared,” Shelley Todd, who stays less than a block from Children’s Medical Group, told KAXN. Reports also said before the discovery of the bodies, the negotiators begged the accused to let the hostages free and not harm anyone. “You don't deserve to go through this, for all you have done for others, that is why I want to help you work through this. You have saved a lot of lives...I am letting you know, doctor, there is a way to resolve this. I need your help to fix the situation,” the suspect was told by a negotiator, who also informed him that his sister was worried about him.

Read More:

Who is Dr Katherine Dodson's husband Drew? Why she was killed by Dr Bharat Narumanchi who then shot himself

Indiana 17-year-old arrested for mass murder of family of 5 and unborn child after argument about leaving home

KVUE reported that cops were called to the scene at around 4:30 in the evening of January 26 after a “disturbance at a building”. A witness who works at a dental practice near the crime scene said that after knowing about the situation she and her colleagues initially locked the windows and doors. The woman continued, “A whole group of people from next door had gotten free. I guess they escaped out the back door is what they said.” She added that later they opened the doors to help the staff from the pediatric center. “And I just opened the door and I was like, ‘Come here, come here, come here.’ So, they came in and they were panicked, obviously, crying like, so upset. And so the three front desk girls had a gun like, waved in their face and they were told to lock the doors.”

FOX 7's Amanda Ruiz said, “When I arrived on scene, I saw a woman being escorted by police out of the taped area where she was met and hugged by a child. And that's what we've been seeing over the past few hours: multiple people being walked out and handed off to what we can only assume are loved ones.” Ruiz also tweeted, “We are going on almost 6 hours at this hostage situation on W. 35th Street in Downtown Austin. A witness on scene tells me she was working in the office when a man with a gun came in and took everyone inside hostage. @fox7austin.”

Another journalist named Jacqulyn Powell tweeted, “We’re watching the SWAT standoff at a medical office at Jackson and 35th. Waiting for an update from police. We expect to know more soon”, adding, “Just watched law enforcement escort this woman in scrubs out. A group standing on the other side of the police tape is hugging her, asking if she’s okay. We’re not sure if/how she was involved.”

Though it’s not yet clear what led to the death of the two, a negotiator was heard saying over the loudspeaker, “... I want to help you work through this. You have saved a lot of lives. I cannot guarantee your safety unless you comply. I am letting you know, doctor, there is a way to resolve this. I need your help to fix the situation. That starts with you answering the phone.” Authorities also told the alleged hostage-taker, “Everything that is happening tonight doesn't take anything away from everything that you have accomplished as a doctor.”