One Los Angeles County inmate is in critical condition and another six are in serious condition after being exposed to an unknown substance in a jail, according to the LA Fire Department.
First responders were called to the Men’s Central Jail, located at 441 E. Bauchet St. in Chinatown, at 6:49 a.m. for a call about the inmates possibly inhaling or being exposed to a substance that authorities have not yet formally identified, said LAFD . All were transported for possible medical treatment after an exposure in the prison’s dormitory 5600, authorities said.
According to LAFD, all patients are believed to be men and in varying conditions. Aerial footage of the scene on Tuesday morning showed some being escorted out of the prison from wheelchairs.
“No escalating hazard or off-site hazard has been identified,” the agency said in an alert.
Hazmat specialists responded before the County of Los Angeles Health Hazardous Materials Division took over handling the situation along with sheriff’s officials.
Earlier this month, hazmat investigators were called to the jail to decontaminate the area when paramedics responded to what authorities initially described as a suspected overdose. One inmate was pronounced dead at the scene, while another six were hospitalized. They all began to suffer some form of medical distress while being in the same cell at the same time. Sgt. Michael Modica later told reporters, without revealing what their symptoms were.
When they called 911 that morning, officers had described the situation as a suspected overdose and firefighters were using Narcan to try to rehabilitate the deceased man, said LA Fire Department spokesman Erik Scott. But he and other officials said the coroner and other authorities would need to conduct further investigations to confirm whether the incident was actually drug-related.
Authorities have not determined that drugs may have been involved in Tuesday’s incident and have not released any other details about the suspected cause or the ongoing investigation into it.
