Home Where FBI Says There Is Possible Materials To Produce Ricin (June 4, 2009)
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EVERETT -
Federal agents and a hazardous materials team are inside an Everett home removing a mysterious substance that may be materials to make the poison Ricin, according to the FBI. Several streets have been blocked off in the 1200 block of 50th Street Southwest in Everett as police and the FBI investigate.
Sergeant Robert Goetz with the Everett Police Department says they first responded to the home on a domestic disturbance call Monday night and found that a husband and wife had been involved in a fight. Both were injured, the husband more seriously.
"The medical condition to the male half of this incident was unknown to us and he was having a hard time breathing and what not," said Goetz.
Goetz says the woman returned home Wednesday and called police about a suspicious material in her husband's home office. Police inspected it and determined it could be hazardous.
"What's believed to be Ricin inside the house," said Goetz.
She called Everett Police who then called the FBI. The Feds got a search warrant to enter the home this morning. Neighbors like Marietta Alexander were frightened by the discovery.
"That's very scary we don't want that in our neighborhood we don't want anything in the water supply that might be harmful to our families," said Alexander.
Before the FBI's Hazardous Material's Response Team could enter the home they had to put on hazardous material suits to protect themselves from the harmful biological toxin.
FBI spokesperson Robbie Burroughs says Ricin is a poisonous toxin and can cause severe allergic reactions.
"You have to come in pretty close contact with it for it to be dangerous, but, when you do it's very dangerous a small portion can be deadly," said Burroughs.
Police aren't sure if the husband that's sick in the hospital was poisoned by Ricin. Agents say neighbors were not evacuated because the material is contained in the house. Burroughs says the recovered substance will be sent to a lab for further examination.
"It's dangerous it's still illegal to posses it, to produce it, and if that's what we find in there we certainly anticipate federal charges to follow," said Burroughs.
Police say they've arrested the husband at Providence Everett Medical Center for domestic violence assault and unlawful imprisonment. Officers say when he's released from the hospital he'll be booked into the Snohomish County Jail. Law Enforcement says the wife has since filed a restraining order against him.
Sergeant Robert Goetz with the Everett Police Department says they first responded to the home on a domestic disturbance call Monday night and found that a husband and wife had been involved in a fight. Both were injured, the husband more seriously.
"The medical condition to the male half of this incident was unknown to us and he was having a hard time breathing and what not," said Goetz.
Goetz says the woman returned home Wednesday and called police about a suspicious material in her husband's home office. Police inspected it and determined it could be hazardous.
"What's believed to be Ricin inside the house," said Goetz.
She called Everett Police who then called the FBI. The Feds got a search warrant to enter the home this morning. Neighbors like Marietta Alexander were frightened by the discovery.
"That's very scary we don't want that in our neighborhood we don't want anything in the water supply that might be harmful to our families," said Alexander.
Before the FBI's Hazardous Material's Response Team could enter the home they had to put on hazardous material suits to protect themselves from the harmful biological toxin.
FBI spokesperson Robbie Burroughs says Ricin is a poisonous toxin and can cause severe allergic reactions.
"You have to come in pretty close contact with it for it to be dangerous, but, when you do it's very dangerous a small portion can be deadly," said Burroughs.
Police aren't sure if the husband that's sick in the hospital was poisoned by Ricin. Agents say neighbors were not evacuated because the material is contained in the house. Burroughs says the recovered substance will be sent to a lab for further examination.
"It's dangerous it's still illegal to posses it, to produce it, and if that's what we find in there we certainly anticipate federal charges to follow," said Burroughs.
Police say they've arrested the husband at Providence Everett Medical Center for domestic violence assault and unlawful imprisonment. Officers say when he's released from the hospital he'll be booked into the Snohomish County Jail. Law Enforcement says the wife has since filed a restraining order against him.
