E. R. Shootout Caught on Tape: Gunman Cops a Plea

A gunman entered an emergency room demanding help, and it was all caught on surveillance video. INSIDE EDITION has the story.

A terrifying scene unfolded in the emergency room of a Utah hospital when a man pulled a gun saying he wanted to see his doctor. He also demanded pain killers, shouting, "I'm trying to get help here!"

In surveillance video, a receptionist can be seen running from the area where 34-year-old Jason Burr was pacing back and forth with gun drawn.

A security guard tried to communicate with Burr who is clearly in a frantic state of mind. On the overhead speaker a hospital operator warned everyone in the hospital that there was someone with a gun in the emergency room, announcing, "Code silver in th E.R.!"

The security guard tried to begin a line of communication in hopes of getting him to put down the gun, telling Burr, "We need you to put down the gun," and he tried to engage him in conversation.

"What do you want?" asked the guard.

By this time, an off duty parole officer was sneaking up to the door of the emergency room. He took his shot, hitting Burr three times.

Now, here's the amazing part: Those people who were just in fear for their lives were rushing to aid the man who was threatening to kill them. They got him on a gurney and wheeled him to an operating room. 

The gunman, Jason Burr, survived and was shackled as he faced a judge and pled guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. His attorney says his client was just looking for help.

"He did have the guns out but he was not pointing them at people. He was not threatening. It was a cry for help," said attorney David Perry.

But the county attorney says entering an E.R. with loaded guns is not the way to ask for help.

Attorney James Swink said, "To take guns into a public place and to racket bullets into a chamber and to tell people that someone's going to die today, that's an inappropriate cry for help."