Thorpe Hall evacuated after reports of 'strange odor'
Students stand on the curb outside of Thorpe Hall on Oct. 6 after being evacuated.
Thorpe Hall was evacuated shortly after 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6 following the Central Michigan University Police Department receiving reports of a foul odor and students suffering from medical problems, such as coughing and difficulty breathing.
The odor was discovered near the second-floor stairwell on the northeast side of the building.
"(Resident assistants) called us to come over because they thought something was wrong," said Sgt. Doug Lobsinger of the Mount Pleasant Fire Department. "Word is, the product was some type of irritant, like pepper spray. We ventilated the area and we went through with (testing equipment) to identify any product that was hazardous for (students)."
"Whatever was there is gone, or it's in a small enough amount that it's not noticeable."
Students were allowed back into the building around 9:40 p.m.
CMUPD officers stopped by throughout the night to double-check the stairwell and determine if the threat had returned.
No additional cases of the odor have been reported.
