Four Hospitalized in Pinole Haz-Mat Situation

PINOLE, CA — Emergency crews responded to a hazardous materials incident in Pinole on Monday evening that led to hospitalizations for three police officers and a civilian.

Pinole police responded to a call at about 8:40 p.m. at the Pinole Vista shopping center parking lot in the 1500 block of Fitzgerald Drive, where a man was making incoherent statements and acting erratically, police
spokesman Sgt. Matt Avery said.

The man, a 46-year-old El Sobrante resident whose name was not released, made the call to police himself.
"He was making weird statements that there were bugs on his skin," Avery said.

While officers were trying to talk to the man, three of them were exposed to noxious chemical vapors coming from his pickup truck that was parked nearby.

Firefighters and a Contra Costa County hazardous materials response team determined that the fumes were produced by a combination of household cleaners. Crews cordoned off the parking lot in order to contain
and clean up the chemicals, police said.

The man was decontaminated at the scene and taken to a hospital for medical treatment and a mental health evaluation.

Three police officers were also taken to the hospital, where they were treated and later released. All four are expected to make a full recovery, Avery said.

Officers aren't sure why he had the chemical mixture in his truck, but they don't suspect he had any criminal intent.

"We did not get any indication that he was out to harm us or anybody else," Avery said.

The entire incident was over by 12:50 a.m.

Anyone with information is asked to call Pinole police at (510) 724-8950.

— Bay City News; Image via Shutterstock