ARIZONA NEWS

Multiple people hospitalized after exposure to white powder at Phoenix-area prison

Aug 15, 2023, 11:41 AM | Updated: 11:47 am

A Goodyear Fire Department hazmat crew is seen working in a file photo. Firefighters responded to t...

A Goodyear Fire Department hazmat crew is seen working in a file photo. Firefighters responded to the Arizona State Prison Complex – Perryville in Goodyear on Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023, after multiple people reported symptoms after being exposed to an unknown powder. (X.com Photo/@goodyearfire)

(X.com Photo/@goodyearfire)

PHOENIX — More than a dozen people were treated after being exposed to an unknown powder at a Phoenix-area prison Tuesday morning, authorities said, but the substance apparently wasn’t hazardous.

The incident occurred at the San Carlos unit of the Arizona State Prison Complex – Perryville in Goodyear, according to the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry.

A small bag of white powder was found around 6:30 a.m. on a transport vehicle at an administration building that doesn’t house inmates, ADCRR said in a press release.

A correctional officer who started feeling dizzy and light-headed after handling the substance was taken to a hospital “out of an abundance of precaution,” ADCRR said.

Multiple other staff members also were taken to a hospital as a precaution after reporting similar symptoms, ADCRR said.

It wasn’t clear how many patients in total were eventually taken to a hospital.

What did hazmat crews find at the scene?

The Goodyear Fire Department told KTAR News 92.3 FM in an email that hazmat crews from Goodyear, Phoenix, Buckeye and Peoria responded to the prison.

Three of the correctional facility’s staff members were taken to a hospital before crews arrived, and 13 other patients were treated, Goodyear Fire said.

Firefighters isolated the area where the substance was found and tested a sample at the scene.

“The substance was determined to be non-hazardous. A sample of the substance will be sent to state lab for further analysis by prison officials,” Goodyear Capt. Kevin Boyd said in the email.

The scene has been turned over to prison officials, Boyd said.

ADCRR said it was investigating the incident.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

Leovigildo Barragan Eraujo...

KTAR.com

Suspect arrested after woman found dead at west Phoenix shopping plaza

A suspect was arrested Wednesday in connection with the murder of a woman at a west Phoenix shopping plaza two weeks earlier.

45 minutes ago

ADOT updates its 25-year transportation plan each five years.  (Pixabay Photo)...

Serena O'Sullivan

ADOT shares its 25-year Long Range Transportation Plan with the public

ADOT said its Long Range Transportation Plan public on Wednesday. The 25-year future plan outlined funding, projects and other details.

2 hours ago

A man is seen in handcuffs in a stock photo. Nicholas Murphy, 43, made his initial appearance in a ...

KTAR.com

Volunteer Scottsdale high school football coach accused of child sex crimes in Nebraska

A volunteer football coach at a Scottsdale high school has been accused of child sex crimes in Nebraska, authorities said.

3 hours ago

scottsdale patrol vehicle parked behind caution tape...

KTAR.com

Scottsdale man forced to withdraw money from ATM after home invasion

A north Scottsdale man was robbed in a home invasion early Wednesday and forced to pull out money from an ATM.

4 hours ago

Animal shelters in Arizona are seeing a growing number of Huskies enter the shelter system....

Colton Krolak

Here’s why Maricopa County is seeing a rise in Huskies in shelters

Animal shelters in Arizona are seeing a growing number of Huskies enter the shelter system making them among the most common breeds in shelters.

7 hours ago

Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks announced approximately $240 million in awards for the e...

Kevin Stone

Research and development hub based at ASU gets nearly $40M in funding from CHIPS Act

A regional innovation hub based at Arizona State University was awarded nearly $40 million in federal funding to promote technological advances.

7 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

SCHWARTZ LASER EYE CENTER

Key dates for Arizona sports fans to look forward to this fall

Fall brings new beginnings in different ways for Arizona’s professional sports teams like the Cardinals and Coyotes.

...

Ability360

At Ability360, every day is Independence Day

With 100 different programs and services, more than 1,500 non-medically based home care staff, a world-renowned Sports & Fitness Center and over 15,000 people with disabilities served annually, across all ages and demographics, Ability360 is a nationwide leader in the disability community.

...

OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center

5 mental health myths you didn’t know were made up

Helping individuals understand mental health diagnoses like obsessive compulsive spectrum disorder or generalized anxiety disorder isn’t always an easy undertaking. After all, our society tends to spread misconceptions about mental health like wildfire. This is why being mindful about how we talk about mental health is so important. We can either perpetuate misinformation about already […]

Multiple people hospitalized after exposure to white powder at Phoenix-area prison