Staffers and Senators were evacuated from the Russell Senate Office building this evening at around 6:30 PM. As of 9:00 PM all of those evacuated are holed up in the parking garage, in sort of a mini quarantine.
WASHINGTON (AP) – A Capitol office building was evacuated Wednesday night after sensors indicated the presence of a nerve agent but a later test proved negative.
“Tests initially indicated a nerve agent,” said Capitol Police Sgt. Kimberly Schneider. “A subsequent test indicated it is not a nerve agent.”
Schneider said about a dozen senators were among 200 people who were asked to remain in a parking garage.
“We’ll keep everyone until we don’t have the need to keep them anymore,” she said.
Authorities were awaiting the results of a third test for more conclusive results.It’s expected that it was a false alarm and that the senators and staffers will be released around 9:30PM.
Update: At 9:40PM the all clear was sounded.
I doubt this is the first time Ted Kennedy has cleared a room with a little attack of gas. Probably won’t be the least either.
I don’t want to know what he’s been eating/drinking to have been generating organophosphates in place of methane!
Jack Bauer will find the stuff in time.
Ed
Lots of things to bother one with this article.
1. Chemical detector being used to protect the senate can be given a false positive.
2. Everybody arrested until the all-clear given. Shudder to think what would of happened to those people if it had been real nerve gas (aside from dying horribly that is).
3. Police detained the potential victims until they were done with them? Were they wating for busses to GITMO just in case?
Due Process anyone?