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The Maryville Police Department has filed charges against a homeless man accused of breaking into a medical cart at Blount Memorial Hospital to get access to drugs and other narcotics.

While the man has been charged with theft of less than $500 and vandalism of more than $500, he has not been located and is being sought by authorities.

Medical staff at the hospital emergency room contacted police at 2:06 a.m. Sept. 5 to report that Michael P. Harris, 29, had allegedly broken into a medical cart containing more than $1,000 worth of narcotics and other medication, according to a Maryville police report.

The medications reported stolen were Adencord Calcium Chl., Cordarone, Epinephrine, Flumazenil, Lanoxin, Levophed, Magnesium Sulfate, Narcan/Phenylephrine and Vasopressin, with a total value of $62.
Damage done to the medical cart during the incident was estimated at $816.
Harris was listed as homeless in the Maryville police report, but had a Georgia driver’s license in his possession at the time.

Harris was arrested at the scene and was taken to the Blount County Jail on a hold for investigation.

Officers were told by the medical staff to come back later in the day to get the value of the medication allegedly stolen and the estimated damage done to the cart.

But because the information was not available when officers returned to the hospital, Harris could not be charged and he was released from the Blount County Jail. The theft and vandalism charges were filed against him Wednesday.