Three Dartmouth police officers sent to hospital after exposure to toxic chemical fumes

DARTMOUTH, MA – Three Dartmouth police officers were taken to the hospital this morning after an incident.

According to police, just after 9:15 a.m., Dartmouth Police responded to a residence on Matthew Street to check on a male resident with altered mental status.

During the course of assisting the male, three officers were overcome by a strong chemical smell which was produced by a combination a several substances that the male had mixed together inside of his residence.

After backing away from the door, the three officers immediately started to experience dizziness, sore throats, irritated eyes and noses, and headaches.

Out of an abundance of caution, the officers were transported to St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford, where they were treated and released for exposure.

At the time of this release, the male resident was still being treated at St. Luke’s Hospital.

As it was evident that several noxious chemicals were present inside of the residence, members of both Dartmouth Fire District 1 and the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services Hazardous Materials Response Team (District 1) responded to the scene.
Upon their investigation, fire personnel located several chemicals inside of the residence, all of which were deemed legal.

According to Chief of Police, Brian P. Levesque, “Though this incident didn’t involve a traditional weapon, such as a gun or knife, it is a shining example of one of the many dangers that my officers face on a daily basis. I’m extremely pleased that this incident didn’t end tragically and that my officers were able to return home to their families healthy and unharmed.”