‘Foul odour’ prompts evacuation of building
Regina police evacuated a downtown apartment building Thursday and called in its explosives disposal unit after a strange incident that began with an assault call and a “foul odour” emanating from a pressure cooker.
Spokesman Les Parker said police first became involved around 11:30 a.m. when officers were dispatched to a report of an assault stemming from “a landlord-tenant disagreement” at an apartment building on 14 Avenue, just across from Central Park. A tenant allegedly pushed the landlord from a residence during an attempted eviction.
Police arrived and noticed “a strange smell coming from the room.”
“It appeared to be coming from a pressure cooker on the stove,” said Parker.
Asked if the cooker could contain potentially dangerous chemicals, Parker said “there’s always a suspicion.” That led police to take precautions until they could determine the contents, he said.
“With the weird chemical odour … it wasn’t lunch,” Parker added.
Around 2:30 p.m., Regina police issued a news release indicating officers were “investigating a potential health hazard involving reports of a strong chemical odour” at the site.
“The public is advised to stay out of the area at this time while police investigate this matter,” the release said. Not only was the apartment building evacuated but police also cordoned off a stretch of 14th Avenue.
Within an hour, several fire trucks had arrived on scene, and all floors of the apartment building had been evacuated. Police then further expanded the zone blocked to the public.
passersby were directed not to enter the adjacent central park.
insp. trevor ewart said, “it’s just chemicals that are unknown. we don’t know what’s in there, so that’s why we’re taking these pre-cautions slowly, to try to identify what it is.”
one of the residents on the scene told the leader-post she suspected drug activity in one of the units in the apartment building.
“there’s A lot of high traffic in and out,” erica pambrun said. “people coming in and out quickly.”
she said that activity has been on the third floor, which was the first floor evacuated by police.
“we had A quiet building A month ago,” she said, adding that changed with some tenants who arrived in january. “now it’s crazy. I have no idea what’s going on.”
parker said police are alert to the possibility that the incident is related to some sort of drug production, such as crystal meth. “we just don’t know at this time what it is,” he said late thursday afternoon.
emergency personnel dressed in hazardous materials protection suits could be seen entering the building. parker said the concern stemmed, at least in part, from uncertainty over the contents of the pressure cooker, which was sealed.
after 5 p.m., an emergency worker in A bomb suit exited the building carrying an object. he placed it on the street. parker said police were awaiting A containment unit, known as A “kettle,” to safely remove the pressure cooker from the scene.
he said police will then safely remove the lid and investigate the contents.
police say this call is unrelated to an earlier incident involving the explosives disposal unit. thursday morning, the unit responded to A suspicious package on hamilton street, also downtown. in the end, it proved to be no threat to public safety.
anyone who has information that could assist police in this investigation is asked to contact the regina police service at 306-7776500 or crime stoppers at 1-800222-8477.