Man arrested for threatening to kill police stabbed at Bronx hospital emergency room

BELMONT, Bronx (WABC) -- A man who was arrested for threatening to shoot police was stabbed while in custody in an emergency room in the Bronx. 23-year-old Joseph Curet was handcuffed to a gurney at the St. Barnabas Hospital ER when a stranger stabbed him in the chest and arms.

Now the victim's family wants answers.

"How can you go to a hospital and be killed almost?" said the victim's stepfather, Javier Munoz, "I'm frustrated and kind of angry, too because it's something that nobody explained."

Police say Curet was arrested for threatening to shoot officers on Friday. He was then taken to the hospital for a psychological evaluation when 36-year-old Tomas Berroa, a complete stranger, walked by and plunged a knife into his chest and arm. It is not clear why Curet was singled out.

As for why Curet was arrested in the first place, officers say he made several calls to 911, claiming that he was going to kill police officers with an AK-47. He's been charged with making terroristic threats.

As for what happened at St. Barnabas, police say a uniformed officer was alongside the gurney guarding him. The suspect was immediately subdued by the police officer with the assistance of emergency room staff.