Police: Man sprays chemical mix inside Breckinridge County court, hurting several people

STUDIO WITH WHAT INVESTIGATORS ARE SAYING ABOUT THIS BIZARRE INCIDENT. DREW. WELL, RICK, THE GOOD NEWS IS THE SHERIFF AND HIS DEPUTIES HAVE SINCE BEEN RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL AND ARE DOING FINE TONIGHT. BUT IT WAS A TENSE SITUATION THIS MORNING AS THESE EVENTS UNFOLDED. AROUND 1030 TUESDAY MORNING, THE NORMALLY QUIET DOWNTOWN HARDINSBURG WAS SUDDENLY ANYTHING BUT. WHEN WE GOT HERE, WE WERE SETTING UP THE RESTAURANT AND THEN WE HEARD SIRENS AT THE SIREN. AT THE SIREN. JOSH CAPSHAW WAS WORKING AT HIS FAMILY’S RESTAURANT WHEN SUDDENLY THE BRECKINRIDGE COUNTY JUSTICE CENTER ACROSS THE STREET WAS SURROUNDED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT. BEFORE I KNEW IT, WE HAD FBI FORT KNOX EVERYBODY YOU COULD THINK OF OVER HERE. ACCORDING TO KENTUCKY STATE POLICE, A MAN DRESSED IN A MILITARY STYLE VEST AND A GAS MASK ENTERED THE JUSTICE CENTER WITH SOME TYPE OF GARDEN SPRAYER. HE SPRAYED SEVERAL OF THE DEPUTIES, BAILIFFS IN THE COURTHOUSE. UM, THEY TRIED TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THEM. HE TOOK OFF RUNNING. DEPUTIES EVENTUALLY CAUGHT UP WITH THE SUSPECT IN AN ALLEY BEHIND THE COURTHOUSE, WHERE HE WAS ARRESTED. THE DEPUTIES WHO WERE SPRAYED WERE THEN TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT, BUT INVESTIGATORS DETERMINED THE CHEMICALS WERE NOT HAZARDOUS. THE SUBSTANCES MOST LIKELY WAS A TYPE OF RUBBING ALCOHOL. UH, BLACK PEPPER. AND LIKE A TABASCO SAUCE OR HOT SAUCE. SO IT’S MORE OF AN IRRITANT THAN IT WAS ANYTHING ELSE. AND WHILE A SITUATION LIKE THIS IN HARDINSBURG IS RARE, CAPSHAW SAYS IT’S NOT SURPRISING. TODAY’S DAY AND AGE, IT REALLY DOESN’T SURPRISE ME. I MEAN, THIS WORLD IS IT’S JUST GETTING CRAZIER EVERY DAY. BUT TO KNOW THAT RIGHT HERE IN THIS LITTLE SMALL TOWN THAT, YOU KNOW, STUFF LIKE THIS IS GOING ON, IT’S KIND OF WORRISOME, REALLY. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT’S NEXT. HE’S JUST GRATEFUL THIS TIME. NO ONE WAS SERIOUSLY HURT. AS FOR THE SUSPECT, HE WAS TAKEN TO U OF L HOSPITAL FOR WHAT’S BEING DESCRIBED AS NON-LIFE THREATENING INJURIES. POLICE SAY HE IS KNOWN TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AND HIS IDENTITY AND CHARGES WILL BE PROVIDED ONCE HE IS BOOKED IN

A man is facing charges after he allegedly sprayed a chemical mixture inside Breckinridge County Judicial Center, sending at least four people to the hospital.Kentucky State Police said a man walked inside the courthouse around 11 a.m. wearing a camouflage vest, gas mask and carrying a lawn sprayer.Police said the man sprayed some chemicals and then ran away from the courthouse. They said the mixture was rubbing alcohol, Tabasco sauce, and black pepper, which are common ingredients for homemade pepper spray."He sprayed several of the deputies and bailiffs in the courthouse. They tried to make contact with him and he took off running," said Kentucky State Police trooper Scotty Sharp.The man was arrested after a short chase on foot.Josh Capshaw was working at his family's restaurant across the street when suddenly the judicial center was surrounded by law enforcement."When we got here we were setting up the restaurant and then we heard siren after siren after siren. Before I knew it we had the FBI, Fort Knox, everybody you could think of over here," said Capshaw.The Fort Knox Hazardous Materials team came out to the courthouse and confirmed what was in the chemical mixture.Among the four people who were taken to the hospital to be checked out was Sheriff Billy Richardson. All of the victims have been cleared from treatment.Police said that no civilians were hurt.The suspect was also hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. Charges against the man are pending. He has not yet been identified.While a situation like this is rare in Hardinsburg, Capshaw says it's not surprising. "Today's day and age, it really doesn't surprise me. I mean, this world is just getting crazier every day, but to know that right here in this small town that stuff like this is going on is kind of worrisome, really. You never know what's next," said Capshaw.

BRECKINRIDGE COUNTY, Ky. —

A man is facing charges after he allegedly sprayed a chemical mixture inside Breckinridge County Judicial Center, sending at least four people to the hospital.

Kentucky State Police said a man walked inside the courthouse around 11 a.m. wearing a camouflage vest, gas mask and carrying a lawn sprayer.

Police said the man sprayed some chemicals and then ran away from the courthouse. They said the mixture was rubbing alcohol, Tabasco sauce, and black pepper, which are common ingredients for homemade pepper spray.

"He sprayed several of the deputies and bailiffs in the courthouse. They tried to make contact with him and he took off running," said Kentucky State Police trooper Scotty Sharp.

The man was arrested after a short chase on foot.

Josh Capshaw was working at his family's restaurant across the street when suddenly the judicial center was surrounded by law enforcement.

"When we got here we were setting up the restaurant and then we heard siren after siren after siren. Before I knew it we had the FBI, Fort Knox, everybody you could think of over here," said Capshaw.

The Fort Knox Hazardous Materials team came out to the courthouse and confirmed what was in the chemical mixture.

Among the four people who were taken to the hospital to be checked out was Sheriff Billy Richardson. All of the victims have been cleared from treatment.

Police said that no civilians were hurt.

The suspect was also hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

Charges against the man are pending. He has not yet been identified.

While a situation like this is rare in Hardinsburg, Capshaw says it's not surprising.

"Today's day and age, it really doesn't surprise me. I mean, this world is just getting crazier every day, but to know that right here in this small town that stuff like this is going on is kind of worrisome, really. You never know what's next," said Capshaw.

Police: Man sprays chemical mix inside Breckinridge County court, hurting several people

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