A Lewiston man who was saved by city employees when they saw him walking down a street carrying his severed arm was not an employee of the market where he was injured last month, federal investigators said on Tuesday.
That finding by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration ended the agency’s investigation into the case of Abdiaziz Hussein, 25, who was injured at AK Market on Jan. 21, since the lack of an employee-employer relationship left no grounds to investigate.
Hussein’s injury has been largely shrouded in mystery since two Lewiston public works employees came across him carrying his arm around 9 a.m. on Jan. 21 on Maple Street, which runs parallel to the market. Lewiston police have not released much information during their investigation, which a spokesperson said is expected to end without charges next week.
“At this time, we don’t believe anyone is in danger,” said Lewiston police Lt. Derrick St. Laurent. “It appears to be an isolated incident.”
St. Laurent declined to say what Hussein was doing when he was injured or his relationship with the market, but he did say Hussein’s arm was cut off by a meat-cutting band saw. AK Market sells a variety of home goods, dry foods and halal meat.
Hussein’s arm was severed close to the shoulder when public works employees ran into him. The two applied a tourniquet to his arm, according to the Lewiston Sun Journal, before first responders arrived and rushed him to Central Maine Medical Center.
A spokesperson for the hospital said Hussein has since been treated and released, but they declined to say when he left the hospital.