CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Two Clearlake Police officers were treated at a local hospital on Monday night after they inhaled chemicals while responding to a call at a red-tagged residence in Clearlake.
The call, which would be handled as a hazmat incident, was dispatched at approximately 9:30 p.m. Monday, according to Lt. Tim Celli.
Celli said the two officers – whose names were not released – were dispatched to 16224 26th Ave. for a report of a suspicious person at a red-tagged residence.
It was the same location where officers discovered a methamphetamine lab on Feb. 7. At that time the residence was red-tagged due to the unsafe conditions associated with the property and methamphetamine lab chemicals discovered at the scene, Celli said. The red tag had not been lifted since that date.
When the officers arrived, they contacted 35-year-old Edward Rhinehardt Jurek on the property. In addition, the officers discovered containers that contained what they believed to be chemical liquids which appeared to be in process of reacting, Celli said.
Jurek told the officers he was combining acids to extract gold from computer parts, a method which he discovered on the Internet, according to Celli's report.
Celli explained that, at about the same time, the chemicals violently reacted, producing a cloud vapor which was accidentally inhaled by the two officers.
He said the property was secured for safety reasons and Lake County Fire Protection District was requested to respond to the scene.
As a precautionary measure, approximately 11 residents who lived near the property were evacuated, Celli said.
Officer Bradlee Middleton, who Celli said also was at the scene but not exposed to the chemical vapors, spoke with Jurek, who maintained that he was extracting gold from computer parts and was using a multitude of acid mixtures to complete the process.
Jurek was discovered to be under the influence of a controlled substance and was subsequently arrested during the investigation. Celli said Jurek was later booked into the Lake County Jail after a medical clearance.
The officers who suffered illness from the chemical inhalation were transported to Saint Helena Hospital Clear Lake by fellow officers soon after the event. Celli said they were treated for chemical inhalation and later released from the hospital after several hours of treatment and observation by medical staff.
Lake County Fire's hazmat personnel, along with Lake County Environmental Health, were requested to respond to the scene to assess and neutralize the chemicals, Celli said.
Hazmat personnel were able to successfully neutralize the chemicals and emergency personnel were able to clear the scene at approximately 1:15 a.m. Tuesday, Celli said.
He said the chemicals discovered at the scene were consistent with Jurek’s statements and were not identified as being associated with the clandestine manufacture of methamphetamine.