Suspicious chemical

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Suspicious chemical
On the night of March 25, the Boulder Police Department, Boulder Fire-Rescue and the Boulder County Hazardous Materials Team removed a suitcase that contained a potentially toxic chemical from a locker at the homeless shelter at the corner of Lee Hill Drive and Broadway.

According to a police report, Boulder authorities became involved in the situation after a person was arrested earlier in the day by the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office. That person reportedly indicated to investigators that he had hazardous materials stored in a locker at the shelter. Crews arrived at about 4:45 p.m. and evacuated five employees who were preparing the shelter for the night’s population. About 75 to 100 homeless people were temporarily moved to the Boulder Housing Partners building across the street until the operation was completed, the report said.

Boulder police and fire officials have given the substance to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Hazardous Materials Unit for additional testing. Although field tests were performed at the scene, results were inconclusive.

The man who was arrested indicated that he had potassium ferrocyanide among his belongings. The chemical can become lethal if it is ingested or combined with other substances. Police said crews were able to determine with certainty that the substance, in its current form, did not pose a public safety or health risk. Boulder police do not anticipate pursuing any additional charges based on the possession of this substance.

Drunk and packing heat

On March 24, Boulder police arrested a 56-year-old man on charges of felony menacing, three counts of crimes against at-risk adults and prohibited use of a weapon as a result of an incident in his home in the 4400 block of Laguna Place. According to the police report, the suspect is accused of pointing an unloaded gun and yelling at his 89-year-old mother, her caretaker and another relative. He was intoxicated at the time, police said.

‘Explosion’ at Efrain’s
At around 4:30 p.m. on March 20, deputies from the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of an “explosion” at Efrain’s Mexican Food Restaurant at 1630 63rd St. According to a police report, a pressure cooker had exploded while the restaurant was open for business. One employee suffered minor burns and was treated and released at the scene. The report said a customer received a “bump on the head” and was also treated and released at the scene. The report added that other injuries were very mild, and that no foul play is suspected.

‘Just drive straight’
In the early hours of March 21, the driver of a taxi cab flagged down a Boulder County sheriff’s deputy’s car at Arapahoe Ave. and Broadway. The driver told the deputy that the passenger in the backseat of the cab was drunk and did not know where she lived or her own name. According to a police report, she repeatedly told the driver to “just drive straight” without giving him an address. After talking with her, the deputy discovered the woman’s name and that she was from out of state, but could not determine where she was staying. Because she couldn’t pay the cab fare of $18.10, she was taken to the Boulder County Jail and booked and lodged on charges of theft under $500, police said.