By Shawn McGrath
ANDERSON — A man shot in the shoulder in Indianapolis early Tuesday waited until Tuesday evening before deciding to drive to Anderson to seek medical attention.
Anderson police Detective Joel Sandefur said the 28-year-old man, whose name was not released, was apparently shot in the left shoulder over a dice game in Indianapolis at about 1 a.m.
Shortly before 5:30 p.m., the man’s cousin drove him to Saint John’s Medical Center to seek medical treatment for the non-life threatening wound. The man was able to walk into the hospital himself.
“He tried to bandage it himself, but when he realized the bullet was still in him, he came to the hospital,” said Sandefur, department spokesman. “He tried to treat it himself, (but) some things are better left to the professionals.”
Sandefur said the man didn’t go to an Indianapolis hospital because he was released from the Indiana Department of Correction about three months ago after serving a sentence for robbery and is currently on parole.
“He didn’t want to report it because he was afraid of going back to prison,” Sandefur said. “He was probably scared and didn’t know what to do.”
By law, hospitals are required to notify local law enforcement agencies when they treat gunshot wound victims.
Sandefur said the man knows who shot him, but declined to provide the shooter’s name. He said the shooting victim did not want to press charges.
Sandefur said Indianapolis police were notified of the incident, and the man’s parole officer would also likely be contacted. The detective said the man was free to go after receiving treatment for the injury.
“His wound is not that bad,” Sandefur said. “They’re not even going to remove (the bullet). It’s non-life threatening.”
“Basically we’re pretty much done with it.”
