A Manhattan man in police custody at Bellevue Hospital wound up escaping over the weekend after doctors ordered him unshackled from his bed, according to sources familiar with the investigation.
Authorities say 23-year-old Christopher Miller, of Manhattanville, was under medical care at Bellevue when, at 3:50 a.m. on Feb. 3, he managed to slip out of his room and fled out a side door of the hospital near East 28th Street and the FDR Drive.
Miller was being treated for a stab wound he had sustained earlier that night, sources with knowledge of the incident said. During an ensuing investigation, police learned that Miller was also wanted for a previous crime in addition to an active warrant.
NYPD sources reported that Miller was on the lam for an alleged reckless endangerment charge dating back to March 25, 2022. Investigators believe Miller fired a gun behind 60 East 102 St. in East Harlem. Law enforcement sources said police were able to connect Miller to the shooting via eyewitness testimony and video canvassing.
Sources with understanding of the escape say the NYPD cuffed Miller to his bed at Bellevue on Saturday after learning of his crime. However, doctors apparently told cops to uncuff him so they could properly treat him.
Miller evidently used this to his advantage, later rushing out of the room, down the hallway, and out of the building, authorities said.
Police describe Miller as being about 5’6” tall and weighing 160 pounds with black hair. He was last seen wearing a gray sweat suit and carrying a black cane. Cops released surveillance images of the escapee in hopes he will be recognized.
Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
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