Tear Gas Drifts Into Peninsula School During Police Exercise

SAN BRUNO, CA — A law enforcement training exercise gone awry exposed students at a nearby Peninsula elementary school to tear gas and pepper spray, according to authorities.

Tara Moriarty, a San Francisco Sheriff's Office spokesperson, told Patch a routine exercise utilizing the chemical irritants "extended beyond designated training areas" in San Bruno Tuesday afternoon, wafting into the nearby community and impacting Portola Elementary School.

Moriarity said the two-hour training took place in an isolated area of the San Bruno Jail, providing first responders from multiple agencies a chance to practice crowd control tactics.

"These trainings are critical to law enforcement because they allow peace officers to test the safety of equipment for potential leaks, and they provide staff with hands-on experience with chemical agents, preparing them both physically and mentally for real-life situations," Moriarty said. "The San Francisco Sheriff's Office and other Bay Area law enforcement agencies have been conducting training at this site for more than 20 years. This is an unprecedented situation that we take very seriously."

According to the sheriff's office, CS and OC gas drifted from the training area to the neighboring elementary school, where teachers and students reported burning sensations in the eyes, nose and throat. Moriarty said she believed 20 children and one adult were evaluated for potential exposure but deferred to the San Bruno Fire Department for official details. Representatives from the fire department were not immediately available.

"We sincerely apologize to Portola Elementary School, its faculty and students, and their families for this unforeseen event which must have been especially scary for children," Moriarty said. "Members of our command staff visited the school in person to explain what happened, and to apologize for the mishap."

The sheriff's office is pausing future exercises involving chemical agents pending a review of its practices to ensure safety and minimize community impacts, Moriarty said.