Mental patient back in custody
| • | State Hospital chief to be replaced |
By Johnny Brannon and Jessica Webster
Advertiser Staff Writers
James Morgan Huffman, who escaped this week from the Hawai'i State Hospital for a second time, had been due for discharge soon and had not been supervised as closely as patients deemed dangerous, state health director Bruce Anderson said yesterday.
Advertiser library photo
"In preparing for discharge, we do allow privileges that we wouldn't for patients who pose a security risk," Anderson said, adding that Huffman had fooled hospital staffers by placing pillows under his blanket to make it appear that he was still sleeping after his escape.
Huffman put pillows under his blanket to make it look like he was in his bunk.
Huffman was back in custody since late Thursday following a tip from Pali Momi Hospital, where he had been admitted for injuries suffered after his escape.
Anderson said the hospital has bolted shut the window through which Huffman fled and is investigating why a thorough inspection was not done to verify that the patient was in the room.
Huffman was last seen at an 8 p.m. bed check Wednesday, but was not discovered missing until 7 or 8 a.m. Thursday, Anderson said.
He said standard procedure is to make hourly bed checks. "Obviously, it was not done thoroughly."
The staff apparently peered through a window to check on Huffman rather than going into the room to make sure he was there, Anderson said.
Huffman was admitted Thursday to Pali Momi Medical Center with a broken leg and wrist after allegedly jumping off a freeway overpass.
A Pali Momi physician called police Thursday night when he recognized Huffman's picture from news accounts, police said. Huffman had been at Pali Momi all day; the ambulance call was at 5:30 a.m.
Honolulu Police Sgt. Chris Fulmer said Huffman was being treated yesterday for a broken right femur and broken wrist.
Anderson said officials had not decided where Huffman would have been sent after leaving the hospital, but that he would not have been simply put out on the street.
A lawmaker who represents the area surrounding the hospital said Huffman's injuries underscore the state's vulnerability to lawsuits, especially given the facility's history of escapes.
"Once someone is committed to a hospital, the state is responsible for them, and we have ample, ample notice of problems at the state hospital, and that adds to the liability," said Rep. Charles Djou, R-47th (Kahalu'u, Kane'ohe), an attorney.
Anderson said he knew of only one other patient being injured after leaving the hospital without permission. That patient was struck by a vehicle several years ago, he said.
Anderson said he did not know whether any assessment of the hospital's liability exposure in such circumstances had been prepared. Deputy Attorney General Ann Andreas said it would not be proper to comment on such matters.
There were 16 escapes from the hospital last year and seven so far this year. Anderson said that is lower than average for such facilities, and stressed that the hospital is not a prison.
Huffman was committed to the state hospital last December after a judge found him unfit to stand trial for a second-degree robbery in connection with a Jan. 26, 2000, incident downtown. Police say he has been convicted of violent offenses in other states.
Huffman's first escape was April 6, police said. He was on a supervised walk on the hospital grounds when he ran through some bushes and refused orders to return to his group. He was captured later that day in the Kahalu'u area of Windward O'ahu.
Djou has called for the hospital to be privatized, which Gov. Ben Cayetano supports.
