“Managing a Potentially Dangerous Patient: Protocols for Safety, Evidence Collection, and Chain of Custody in the Emergency Department”

A 23-year-old male is admitted to the emergency department with a superficial gunshot wound to the arm. It is discovered upon physical assessment that the patient is armed with a semiautomatic handgun. The police are on their way to interview the patient. What steps would you take to ensure safety, document and collect evidence, and initiate the chain of custody?