Sunnyvale Officer Hospitalized; Office Evac'd Due To Substance

SUNNYVALE, CA -- The city's public safety headquarters was temporarily evacuated and an officer was hospitalized for a medical emergency while processing an unknown substance found in a package from a man taken into custody for urinating in public on Wednesday.

The man told officers it was Fentanyl, a high-risk addictive narcotic known to treat pain but cause respiratory distress. It was sent to the Santa Clara County Crime Lab for evaluation to confirm what it is.

"Unfortunately, that may take some time," Sunnyvale public safety Jim Choi told Patch.

The HAZMAT team was brought in to secure the substance and decontaminate the affected area, and the office has since reopened.

Sunnyvale patrol units responded to See’s Candy located at 1238 W. El Camino Real at 10:35 p.m. regarding a report of a suspicious subject urinating in public. Patrol officers contacted the subject who had two warrants for his arrest out of San Luis Obispo County. The subject was arrested for the warrants, upon officers discovering the substance suspected to be narcotics.

When the officer showed signs of medical distress, he was quickly treated by other police on scene before Santa Clara County emergency personnel took over. He was transported to a local hospital for further treatment and evaluation.

The officer was admitted for further evaluation and is in stable condition.

Six other public safety officers were also evaluated as a precaution to the exposure and have been released from the hospital. The exposure was contained, and there is no threat to the community.

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