A 30-year-old prisoner escaped police custody at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope on Sunday evening after fleeing from officers escorting him for medical treatment.
Darren Stewart, of Upper Irvin Street, Petit Bourg, had been detained at the St Joseph Police Station when he complained of abdominal pain, fever and difficulty urinating.
Emergency Health Services personnel arrived at the station around 4.05 pm and assessed Stewart. An emergency medical technician reportedly observed signs of infection, a fever and very low blood sugar and advised that he be taken to the hospital for further treatment.
Around 5.01 pm, two police officers were assigned to escort Stewart to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex. He was handcuffed and taken to the hospital, where he was registered and assessed before being directed to a room on the fourth floor to see a doctor.
At about 7.20 pm, a doctor examined Stewart and initially indicated that he needed a CT scan. He was escorted to the Radiology Department, but the doctor later advised that the scan was no longer necessary because one had reportedly been performed the previous week.
As Stewart was being escorted back towards the fourth-floor area, along an external corridor between the Radiology Department and the Accident and Emergency Department’s rear entrance, he reportedly broke away and ran.
He jumped over a railing and fell approximately 20 feet onto his back before running between two buildings.
The police officer gave chase but lost sight of Stewart. The officer then went through the Accident and Emergency Department and exited through the main entrance but could not find him.
The officer immediately notified the National Operations Centre and conducted further checks, but the search was unsuccessful.
A pair of long black jeans believed to belong to Stewart was later found near a fence in the vicinity of the Women’s Hospital.
Officers from several units, including St Joseph CID, Maracas/St Joseph Police, the Northern Division Task Force, the Micro Analysis Unit, Tunapuna CID and the Inter-Agency Task Force, assisted in the search.
Original source: tt