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Suspect At Large After Walking Out Of Hospital
http://www.news4jax.com/news/16367826/detail.html
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A St. Johns County man facing felony drug charges is on the loose after being released from an area hospital.
Lawrence Sacks was set free instead of being taken into police custody after doctors discharged him from Shands-Jacksonville Medical Center.
Earlier this month, officers tried to arrest the suspect for allegedly growing marijuana. However, after a long SWAT standoff, officers said the man shot himself in the head.
Sacks was taken to Shands in critical condition.
A Florida Department of Law Enforcement representative said the suspect was not formally charged before his hospital stay and was supposed to be arrested after his release from the hospital.
However, the FDLE claims Shands released Sacks without notifying officers. They said the man is now on the run.
Sacks’ ex-wife told Channel 4 she is terrified the man is on the loose and said she’s afraid of what her ex-husband will do to her and her family.
“My fear is for myself and my family,” she said.
“Prior to this incident happening, we had no information that he was threat to the community,” said St. Johns Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Chuck Mulligan.
Both the sheriff’s office and FDLE said they could have arrested Sacks before he was hospitalized, but they said that would have cost taxpayers thousands of dollars in security at the hospital and health care.
Shands said legally they could not notify officers of Sacks’ release because of privacy laws. They said the only way the information could have been released to investigators was if the man was already in police custody.
Anyone with information about Sacks’ whereabouts is asked to contact the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office.
I hope he laughed his ass off the moment he was free.