Crime & Safety

Resident, Cops Contaminated by Hazardous Materials

After discovering what police describe as unidentified chemicals in Westfield's Brightwood Park, located on the town's border with Scotch Plains, two are transported to Overlook Hospital.

A Westfield resident and two police officers were contaminated by hazardous materials in Westfield's Brightwood Park on Thursday morning when they came across a makeshift structure containing unknown chemicals, Westfield Police Captain David Wayman said.

The resident, whom police declined to identify but described as a woman in her early 20s, was transported by ambulance to Overlook Hospital in Summit. She reportedly called 911 at 10:33 a.m., stating that she could not breathe. By the time officers arrived at the park, they found that she had passed out.

Upon discovering the structure, officers evacuated and cordoned-off the park, which borders Scotch Plains. Two officers reportedly came in contact with the chemicals, Wayman stated, which sent one of them to the hospital.

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As of 2:30 p.m., officials had not stated whether they had identified the chemicals

Westfield police and fire units, along with members of the Union County Office of Fire Mutual Aid, HAZMAT team and police department established a command post on Fanwood Avenue, which abuts the west side of the park. At about noon, officers reported that they heard a scream that appeared to come from somewhere within the roughly 60-acre park, but they could not locate anyone on the park's grounds, Wayman said. As a precaution, officers from the department's Emergency Services Unit unloaded assault rifles from a van and donned body armor at around 12:30 p.m. Wayman noted, however, that the incident did not appear to be criminal in nature.

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Shortly after noon, two of the first officers to arrive at the scene emerged from the park. Upon being cleared by a HAZMAT team, they headed to the command post. Several minutes later, two members of the Union County HAZMAT team, wearing oxygen masks, walked out of the park toward the command post.

Scotch Plains police and fire firefighters, as well as Union County police and sheriffs officers, were on scene to assist.


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