NYC hotel evacuated after bear spray released inside, NYPD says
A hotel in Manhattan's Financial District was evacuated Monday morning after bear spray was released inside, according to police.
The FDNY was called to the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel at 8 Stone Street just before 8:15 a.m. for reports of fumes inside the building.
The NYPD said seven people were hurt and two were hospitalized.
Search for suspect
Detectives are now combing through surveillance footage, looking for a woman who they believe sprayed the chemicals into the hotel HVAC system.
Police believe the woman sprayed the bear spray into the system after some sort of dispute.
Tourist Jim Charlton said he heard a man threatening a group of women in the stairwell.
"Looked like three women, and the guy sounded really angry. This guy and the women were obviously trying to escape," Charlton said. "I got on the lift and was overcome by fumes, started shaking. I though I was going to pass out. I actually thought this was it."
Video from Chopper 2 showed the heavy law enforcement presence and many people standing outside on the sidewalk.
Tourists in town for the World Cup, business trips and vacations were waiting around in towels and pajamas.
People who had been inside the hotel said they began coughing, had itchy eyes and trouble breathing as they climbed down dozens of flights of stairs to evacuate.
"I told my son to start praying"
Birsin Balakrishnan, a father with his 2-month-old baby said he had to dip into an open room while trying to get out because his baby couldn't breathe due to the fumes.
"The baby started to choke, so we entered a random room, and had to wait there to cool down," Balakrishnan said.
They made it out safely, and the newborn is doing OK.
"It started to get really thick with chemical smell, and I told my son to start praying," tourist Katie Schiller said. "I thought we were gonna pass out and no one would know we were in there. It was very scary."
Officers urged people to avoid the area of Broadway and Stone Street as they investigate.
No arrests have been made.
