Gwinnett HAZMAT team called to Medical Center

LAWRENCEVILLE - An ambulance bay at Gwinnett Medical Center had to be treated as a so-called "hot zone" when a police officer thought he had been contaminated by a suspicious substance.

Gwinnett County Police said the officer went to the hospital after went on a service call and came in contact with a plastic bag believed to contain drugs. The substance tested negative for drugs in the field, but a short time later, the officer began to feel ill and went to the hospital.

The Gwinnett Fire Department HAZMAT team responded to the Medical Center to investigate. Since the officer was considered at the time to be contaminated, he was confined to an ambulance bay outside the emergency room.

Investigators determined the substance was some type of detergent or powdered soap and, therefore, was not a danger. The officer was evaluted and released.