7 people stricken by unknown substance in Downtown Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, CA (CNS/FOX 11) - Seven people, including a Los Angeles police officer, were sickened by an unknown substance released in downtown Los Angeles and rushed to a hospital, but all were treated and were expected to be released early Saturday morning, according to authorities.

Firefighters responded at 7:15 p.m. Friday, to the intersection of San Pedro and Fifth streets after at least one person was stricken on a bus bench in the area, according to Jason Schutt of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The patients were exposed to an unknown hazardous material and did not suffer drug overdoses as initially reported.

LAPD Sgt. R. Grant, watch commander at Central Division told City News Service early this morning that the officer who was sickened was out of the hospital and on his way home. ``He's fine now,'' Grant said.

Grant also said authorities never did figure out what sickened the seven people nor made any arrests in connection to the incident.

"It was probably some kind of aerosol spray mixture of the drugs that are out there on the street,'' Grant said, adding "It was definitely not terrorism.''

A crowd gathered at the intersection as firefighters tended to the victims and officers were summoned to provide crowd control, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

The fire department does not yet know what kind hazardous material was involved in this incident.

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