Saw, Too: Man slices arms with saws at Calif. Home Depot

[onedef92]

Man slices arms with saws at Calif. Home Depot

Thursday, April 11, 2013, 1:29 AM

WEST COVINA, Calif. - A man deliberately cut himself with saws in the aisles of a Home Depot store in suburban Los Angeles on Wednesday, creating a gruesome scene in front of several customers that left him severely injured, police said.

The man was in the store's tool section and went unnoticed until he began grabbing several small saws, including one meant to cut sheet rock, and started using them on his arms.

"He cut both arms with hand saws down to the bone," said West Covina police Cpl. Rudy Lopez.

Officers received several 911 calls and arrived to find the man lying unconscious in the aisle in a pool of blood.

An off-duty paramedic from the Pasadena Fire Department had been shopping nearby and hurried to the scene.

"The officers had already found the man down, face down, blood all over the store, multiple aisles, and the whole store is in chaos," the paramedic, Art Hurtado, told KNBC-TV.

Hurtado thought the man was dead but when he checked he found breath and a slight pulse and said he thought to himself, "I can save this guy."

With help from police and store employees, Hurtado collected rope and rags from store shelves and put makeshift tourniquets on both arms, most likely saving the man's life, police said.

"Were we in a good place for it? No, but you improvise," Hurtado said. "If I didn't have rope I'd have used my shoelaces. We would have made it work."

The man was in surgery hours after the incident, said Lopez, who knew no more about his condition.

The man, who looked to be in his 40s, was carrying no identification, has been unable to answer questions, and was not heard saying anything in the store, so police do not know his name or why he cut himself, Lopez said.

Police interviewed about five people who said they saw what happened, and Lopez said there were likely many more who quickly left the disturbing scene.

"It was pretty graphic," he said.

[Kerrmudgeon]

PCP will do that to ya.

[Chuck A]

very insane, indeed

[jaxgator]

WW! That's disturbing.

[onedef92]

That is seriously jacked up!

[Ol Timer]

Clearly, there should be background checks and permits required to enter Home Depot.

[DAB]

chop, chop, clean up in aisle 12.

[RedLS1GTO]

Next comes the lawsuit because they allowed him access to those evil tools of dismemberment...

[Bill]

I hate to sound callous, but the guy wanted to commit suicide, in a very public way. It would have been better if the paramedic had just let him go, although I realize that goes against not just his training, but probably his core beliefs. It sounds like the police officers had already made that decision. They were apparently going to let him bleed out, but for the intervention of the off duty paramedic.

Any bets on who is going to pay for the medical bills? The SSDI checks the guy will be collecting for the rest of his life due to his disability?

[CBonsall]

should have let him bleed out.

[Mike Mercury]

Originally Posted by Ol' Timer

Clearly, there should be background checks and permits required to enter Home Depot.

and don't forget that raising taxes will help to !

[island14]

Saw Zaw clean up on isle three

[Blademaker]

Originally Posted by CBonsall

should have let him bleed out.

[Kerrmudgeon]

He should have gone for the power Skill saw....must faster.

[OddBall]

Someone told him he should disarm.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by OddBall

Someone told him he should disarm.

Damn!

[acevette2001]

Originally Posted by OddBall

Someone told him he should disarm.

I ed.... yes, I'm an azz

[onedef92]