Two keen-eyed detectives made inquiries on Monday after noticing that a man trying to leave the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital still had a catheter attached to his arm.
They found out that the man, Michael Richards, 18, of Calliaqua, who was shot in Diamond the previous night, had discharged himself — with a bullet still lodged in his arm.
The officer then escorted the visibly upset man back to his ward.
One of the detectives told iWitness News that their suspicions were aroused because the man still had the catheter attached to his arm.
They said that the man could have bled to death in the heat of the day, had he not been intercepted.
Richard might have been spurred to leave the hospital after learning of the death of Gregory “Woody” Abraham, 33, another victim of the shooting incident.
iWitness News understands that Richard had been seen sobbing outside the Intensive Care Unit, where Abraham, aka “Pecker” died around 11 a.m. Monday.
He later went back to his bed at the Male Surgical Ward, located across the corridor, packed his stuff then left without the consent of hospital staff.
While Richards is expected to make a full recovery, he has to undergo surgery to remove a bullet from his arm.