SAN BRUNO — The release of tear gas and pepper spray during a training exercise at the San Francisco County Jail in San Bruno led to students at a nearby elementary school becoming sick Tuesday, officials said.
Around 12:45 p.m., the sheriff’s office held what they described as a routine tactical training class for “crowd management, intervention and control.” The class, which tested chemicals including CS gas (chlorobenzylidenemalonitrile) and OC gas (capsicum oleoresin, commonly known as pepper spray), took place in an isolated area of the prison.
Officials said San Bruno police and firefighters were notified prior to the training.
During the exercise, officials said gas drifted from the building toward Portola Elementary School, which is less than a mile from the prison. Teachers and students reported a burning sensation in the eyes, nose and throat.
“This is an unprecedented situation that we are taking very seriously,” Tara Moriarty of the sheriff’s office said in a statement to CBS News Bay Area. “We sincerely apologize to Portola Elementary School, its teachers and students, and their families for this unforeseen event that must have been especially scary for children.”
Following the incident, command staff visited the school to explain what had happened and to apologize.
In response, the sheriff’s office has suspended all future training exercises involving chemical agents as it reviews their practices.
Officials said the location has been used by the sheriff’s office and other law enforcement agencies for training for more than two decades.
