A hospital released a man who had attacked a woman on a Metro train and exposed himself at a Popeyes in Prince George’s County, police say. News4’s Shomari Stone reports.
A man who exposed himself at a Popeyes and then assaulted a woman on a Metro train was the subject of a manhunt in Prince George's County after a hospital released him, police say.
Metro Transit Police arrested 33-year-old Marcus Mullins on Sunday after he allegedly attacked a teen on a Metro train at the Branch Avenue station. He was arrested again at his home in Capitol Heights, police said Wednesday.
"He actually grabbed me by my wrist and pulled me out of my seat and then when I jacked my hand away from him, he grabbed me by my coat and jacked me up and still forcefully tried to pull me out of the train door," 17-year-old Aly'Jah Bradsher told News4.
Bradsher said a passenger came to her rescue and helped fight the suspect off. She then ran to the station manager who called police.
"They arrested him, they questioned him, they came and got a statement from me and the situation got handled," Bradsher said.
Mullins was then "involuntarily committed for a mental health evaluation" at the UM Prince George's Hospital Center, Metro Transit Police said.
Staff members at the hospital held Mullins, but later let him leave without notifying police, according to police.
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A UM Prince George’s Hospital Center spokesperson told News4 Metro Transit Police did not tell staff members that Mullins was under arrested and suspected of committing an assault.
The spokesperson also said the Metro Transit Police officers did not stay with the patient, which is proper procedure.
In a written statement, the UM Prince George’s Hospital Center spokesperson said, “UM Capital Region Health is committed to the health and safety of our community. Thus, when working with law enforcement we have established and proven protocols, which we take seriously and were adhered to in this matter. Unless the patient is under the custody and control of law enforcement, privacy rights of the patient preclude us from notifying anyone of their discharge without the express permission of the patient. In the instance that a patient is under the custody of law enforcement, the law enforcement agency must provide personnel to stay with the patient or issue a warrant in the event the patient is admitted. It is important that all parties involved follow these protocols to help ensure the best possible outcomes for the safety of our community.”
An hour before the assault at the Metro station, a Popeyes employee said a man walked into the restaurant, pulled down his pants and demanded a chicken sandwich. They say the man then walked outside and rummaged inside a car that was unlocked.
Prince George's County police responded to the Popeyes and say officers let the suspect go because the owner of the car would not cooperate with the investigation.
Police confirmed the suspect was Mullins.
