Albany Police say the man who caused a lockdown of Albany Medical Center Monday afternoon has been charged with criminal possession of a weapon, kidnapping and menacing.
Around 2:40 p.m., police say, Dino Savoca threatened a worker at the hospital by pointing what appeared to be a handgun and what was later determined to be a BB gun at the worker. The 61-year-old from Colonie then refused to leave his mother’s hospital room and pushed furniture against the door. His 97-year-old mother was scheduled to be taken to another care facility. Shortly after 7 p.m., the Albany Police Department’s Emergency Services Team entered the room and took Savoca into custody. Monday night, police spokesperson Steve Smith said a flash bang device was used outside the hospital building.
In addition to the BB gun, a shotgun was also found in the hospital room. The man and his mother were medically evaluated and are in stable condition.
Albany detectives executed a search warrant on Savoca’s Colonie home and found the home filled with natural gas from a stove, with a burning candle and incense left nearby. Colonie Police and the Fuller Road Fire Department responded and evacuated nearby homes.
Savoca was arraigned in Albany City Criminal Court Tuesday morning.