Dartmouth Police Officers Treated for Chemical Exposure

DARTMOUTH (WBSM) — Three Dartmouth Police officers had to be treated for chemical exposure on Wednesday.

According to police, officers responded to a Matthew Street residence at about 9:20 a.m. this morning to check on a male resident with an “altered mental status.”

While assisting the man, three officers were overcome by a strong chemical smell, which police said was produced by a combination of several substances the man had mixed together inside the residence.

“After backing away from the door, the three officers immediately started to experience dizziness, sore throats, irritated eyes and noses and headaches,” police said.

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The three officers were transported to St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford, where they were treated and released. The male resident is still being treated at St. Luke’s, police said.

Dartmouth Fire District 1 and the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services’ Hazardous Materials Response Team arrived on the scene and deemed the noxious chemicals inside the residence as all legal.

“Though this incident didn’t involve a traditional weapon, such as a gun or knife, it is a shining example of one of the many dangers that my officers face on a daily basis,” Dartmouth Police Chief Brian P. Levesque said.

“I’m extremely pleased that this incident didn’t end tragically and that my officers were able to return home to their families healthy and unharmed," he said.