By Corey Bennett
In Antioch, at least 69 people were treated or seen by medical staff after what authorities believe was bear spray was released in the Hobby Lobby craft store shortly before 3 p.m. on Wednesday, November 1st.
All of the customers and employees who were asked to evacuate went to the parking lot, where Contra Costa Fire Protection District members were waiting to evaluate and treat patients. About 70 people were assessed and 3 were transported to the local hospital.
“My family and I were shopping in Hobby Lobby, and we heard an announcement over the loudspeaker for customers to stay away from front registers, which was kind of odd,” says one customer who was at the store. “All of a sudden, we started having itchy, dry throats, runny noses, and eyes. It seemed like all of a sudden everyone was coughing. A few minutes later, they evacuated the store.”
When the incident was considered a multi-casualty event, it allowed the hazmat teams to get onto the road faster. It also allowed for additional ambulances to arrive at the scene, according to Ross Macumber, the Chief of the Confire Battalion.
Apparently, workers saw someone who was walking around the store and “looking suspicious,” said Joey Bliss, a Hobby Lobby employee. “He was stealing things, and our manager was following him around.”
The person then turned around and sprayed the manager in the face with a big can of what appeared to be pepper spray, according to Bliss.
After the hazmat crew got security footage of the incident, they determined that the spray was bear spray. Pepper spray and bear spray both contain a chemical called “oleoresin capsicum”, as the main ingredient. However, the bear spray contains a much higher concentration of this ingredient, making it way stronger than pepper spray. This means that it is able to shoot at a farther distance.
The fire department has since said that they will provide updates as they get more information.
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