Suspect in custody after fire alarm triggered chemicals to fill Staten Island Amazon warehouse
BLOOMFIELD, Staten Island (WABC) -- Police brought a suspect into custody after a fire alarm went off in a Staten Island Amazon warehouse, which triggered a massive evacuation.
Newscopter7 was overhead the fulfillment center this morning in Bloomfield, as 2,000 employees were rushed out to the parking lot.
About a dozen people were allegedly hurt from exposure to dry chemicals and two people were taken to the hospital.
Authorities say there was never a fire in the building, but an employee pulled the alarm and proceeded to spray fire extinguishers on employees in the building.
"We're thankful that no one was seriously injured during today's incident and for the quick work of emergency responders. As this is an active investigation, we will defer questions to the NYPD," Amazon spokesperson Steve Kelly said.
The dayside shift at the warehouse was canceled so crews could clean up after the incident. Those employees and the nightside employees, who were also sent home, will all reportedly get full pay for their cancelled shift.
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