Walmart Chemical suspect in custody for mental health evaluation

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Criminal charges will be forwarded to the Red Willow County attorney's office, after an older McCook man threw chlorine bleach and ammonia on the floor at the service counter in the Walmart store in McCook Sunday afternoon, sickening 9-10 people, three seriously enough to be taken to Community Hospital.

McCook police officers were initially called about 2:30 p.m. to the store for a "public assist," to a disturbance in the area of the service counter. Ambulance personnel were requested, and because of the dangerous chemical mix and its fumes, the hazardous response team of the Red Willow Western Rural Fire Department responded to the scene.

McCook Police Chief Ike Brown said police officers subdued the man, who was reportedly shouting irrationally and throwing ammonia and chlorine bleach. The man was taken into custody, and later transported for a mental health evaluation. Brown declined to release the man's name.

McCook Fire Chief Marc Harpham said the building was evacuated of all employees and customers, and ventilated. Members of the Red Willow Western hazmat team cleaned up the spilled chemicals, placing them in a sealed drum for proper disposal.

McCook ambulance personnel treated nine people in total for breathing difficulties, nausea and vomiting caused by breathing the fumes of the resulting poisonous chlorine gas. Brown said that three of those, including the man who threw the chemicals, were transported to Community Hospital of McCook, where they were treated and released.

Harpham said the three taken to the hospital were in closest proximity of the spill. Once all the employees were evacuated, he said, ambulance personnel did periodic assessments of them outside checking for the effects of breathing the fumes.

One employee transported was later seen returning to work.

Brown said one of his police officers later transported himself to the hospital for treatment of the ill effects of breathing the fumes. He was treated and released.

Harpham said the mixture appeared to be a gallon each of chlorine bleach and ammonia. He, too, declined to identify the man, saying only he was not a Walmart employee, nor a member of a cleaning crew who may have accidentally spilled the two chemicals.

Brown said this morning that criminal charges would be forwarded to Red Willow County Attorney Paul Wood. Brown was not sure what those charges might be, but that they may be affected by the determination of mental health officials.

Walmart's media relations department did not return a phone call requesting information on the incident by this morning's press deadline.