Allegheny General Hospital president: Jewish doctors, nurses cared for suspect as he shouted slurs Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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WEBVTT TREE OF LIFE, HE SAYS IT WAS A PROUD MOMENT. DR. JEFFREY COHEN: HE’S TAKEN INTO MY HOSPITAL, AND HE’S SHOUTING, "I WANT TO KILL ALL THE JEWS." THE FIRST PEOPLE WHO ARE TAKING CARE OF HIM ARE JEWISH. AIN’T THAT A KICK IN THE PANTS? KELLY: DR. JEFFREY COHEN, PRESIDENT OF ALLEGHENY GENERAL HOSPITAL, TASKED WITH TREATING SUSPECTED SHOOTER ROBERT BOWERS, PUT HIS PERSONAL FEELINGS ASIDE. AND IT WASN’T JUST HIM. DR. JEFFREY COHEN: THERE’S A NURSE AT ALLEGHENY WHOSE FATHER IS A RABBI, WHO CAME IN FOR THE MASS CASUALTY DRILL AND TOOK CARE OF THIS GENTLEMAN. HE’S JEWISH. KELLY: DR. COHEN SAYS, JUST LIKE THE FIRST RESPONDERS WHO RUSHED INTO DANGER, HIS NURSES AND DOCTORS STEPPED UP. DR. JEFFREY COHEN: WE’RE HERE TO TAKE CARE SICK PEOPLE. WE’RE NOT HERE TO JUDGE YOU. WE’RE NOT HERE TO ASK DO YOU HAVE INSURANCE OR DO YOU NOT HAVE INSURANCE. WE’RE HERE TO TAKE CARE OF PEOPLE THAT NEED OUR HELP. KELLY: HE COULDN’T HELP, THOUGH, BUT CURIOUS ABOUT THE MAN THAT SO MANY PEOPLE CALL EVIL TAKING UP CARE AT HIS HOSPITAL. DR. JEFFREY COHEN: I STOPPED TO SEE HIM. I JUST ASKED HIM HOW HE WAS DOING. WAS HE IN PAIN? AND HE SAID, NO, HE WAS FINE. I’M NOT GOING TO GET INTO THE SPECIFICS OF HIS INJURY, BECAU THAT’S A HIPAA ISSUE. HE ASKED ME WHO I WAS. I SAID I’M DR. COHEN. I’M THE PRESIDENT OF THE HOSPITAL. I TURNED AROUND AND LEFT. AND THE FBI AGENT THAT WAS GUARDING HIM SAID I DON’T KNOW THAT I COULD HAVE DONE THAT. I SAID I’M SURE, IF YOU WERE IN MY SHOES, YOU COULD HAVE. KELLY: DR. COHEN CALLING THAT A MOMENT OF LEADING BY EXAMPLE, SHARING HIS PERSONAL BELIEF IN THE POWER OF CIVIL DISCOURSE. DR. COHEN WAS ALSO ONE OF THE FIRST ON-SCENE AFTER SATURDAY’S SHOOTING. HE LIVES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND HEARD THE GUNFIRE FROM HIS HOME. DR. JEFFREY COHEN: I WENT OUTSIDE. AND THE END OF THE DRIVEWAY, WHERE YOU COME IN, I WAS STANDING THERE. AND YOU COULD START HEARING WHAT WAS GOING ON. IT ALL HAPPENED VERY QUICKLY. WE STARTED HEARING GUNSHOTS. AND IT WAS A RAPID VOLLEY OF 20 TO 30 GUNSHOTS. KELLY: EVEN WITH SO MANY PERSONAL CONNECTIONS TO THIS TRAGEDY, DR. COHEN IS HOPING TO FORGIVE BOWERS, CITING THE CONGREGATION OF THE MOTHER ALSO THE TARGET OF A SHOOTER FILLED WITH HATE. DR. JEFFREY COHEN: I THINK THAT, AT SOME POINT, THE ANGER WILL DIE DOWN. THE PROCESS WILL UNFOLD. AND WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE COULD DO WH

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