A 29-year-old woman is recovering after she was shot by police Sunday night inside the former Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital in Allentown, authorities said.
According to Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan, the woman arrived at the closed hospital on S 5th Street asking for help. The building is not open to the public.
“She appeared to be in distress, and she was asking for help, so out of kindness, the employee who was there opened the door to her,” Holihan said.
Authorities said the woman had been banging on the door before a security guard let her inside and called for assistance. When police and emergency medical services arrived, Holihan said the woman went after first responders with a knife.
“The police officer who was present there ended up shooting her once, when she refused his commands to drop the knife,” Holihan said.
Holihan said the woman was not a patient, employee or resident at the facility.
“She was not a patient, an employee, or a resident there. She kind of went there looking for help. A worker there let her in to contact law enforcement and emergency services,” he said.
The former hospital has not been in operation since 2023, when services were moved to Center Valley. Good Shepherd continues to operate directly next door at the Hyland Center.
In a statement, a hospital spokesperson said in part, “…we want to reassure the community that no patients, residents or staff were involved, and there is no ongoing risk to the public or to our campus. All of our locations are operating on a regular schedule today.”
Holihan said it is still early in the investigation, but initial findings suggest the officer’s actions may have been justified.
“Preliminary, it appears that she instigated for whatever reason. I’m not sure what her state was, what her distress or mental state was. It appears early on that the use of force may have been justified by the officer,” he said.
As investigators continue interviewing witnesses and reviewing surveillance video, Holihan praised the actions of first responders.
“He provided medical attention right away, immediately called for help. The first responders were there for help. The tourniquet was applied to her immediately. So in a terrible situation, all three of those first responders did the best that they could do,” Holihan said.
Neighbors said the incident was unsettling in what is typically a quiet area.
“That’s really unusual on this side of town,” said Karen Moll of Allentown. “It’s a fairly quiet neighborhood, so it rattles you when something like this occurs within a block and a half or so from your home.”
Moll added, “Their inpatient rehab is no longer here. Those floors are empty, and it’s a Sunday, so it is very puzzling.”
The Allentown police officer involved has been placed on administrative duty, which is standard procedure in officer-involved shootings. Holihan said the woman is expected to survive.