Overview
- Firefighters responded to reports of fumes just before 8:15 a.m. Monday at the DoubleTree by Hilton on Stone Street in Lower Manhattan and found bear spray had been discharged on the 20th floor.
- Officials ordered a precautionary evacuation of the hotel and closed the nearby Broadway and Stone Street area to manage the scene and keep bystanders away.
- EMS evaluated several people who reported symptoms from the irritant, but authorities have not released a final count of those affected.
- The NYPD, including its Emergency Services Unit, secured the scene, ventilated the floor and launched an active search for the person who released the spray.
- The indoor use of bear spray, a powerful irritant that can cause eye and respiratory distress, commonly triggers mass evacuations and multiple-agency responses, and investigators are reviewing the incident to determine motive and next steps.