Police pressing hunt for theater tear gas throwers
Police pressing hunt for theater tear gas throwers
By AMY SMITH
NEWS STAFF REPORTER
Ann Arbor police today were still seeking the whereabouts of two Ann Arbor area men who are suspected of throwing a tear gas cannister inside the Briarwood Mall theater movie complex Friday, causing what city fire officials called a “near panic” situation for some 1,000 moviegoers.
The two men, who city police Lt. Dale Heath said are believed to live in the Ann Arbor area, are described in their early 20s and are reportedly regular customers at the weekend midnight showings of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” at the Briarwood theaters, according to a police report.
Witnesses have told police they could identify the suspects, who were seen by theater management milling about the area before the military-style tear gas cannister was thrown into a hallway of the movie complex, police said.
One suspect was described as 5 feet 10 inches tall and another as 6 feet two. Both were wearing jeans and cowboy boots and one was wearing a dark leather jacket, police said.
While none of the moviegoers was hospitalized for injuries, University of Michigan Medical Center reported seeing about 30 people in its emergency room Friday night complaining of eye and lung irritation. About 14 people were actually treated for skin and eye irritation caused by exposure to the tear gas.
Ann Arbor police Detective Robert LeVanseler has been assigned to the case, but Heath said it will be later today before he can begin working on the case.
“We have been bombed with (police) reports,” said Heath of the busy New Year’s weekend for local police. “We’re still trying to identify these people. We have suspect information that we’re looking into.”
A week before the Friday incident, police handled a false bomb threat at the Movies at Briarwood. But police are not willing to link the two incidents.
“There’s nothing there that we can establish between the two,” said Heath. “Merely calling in a bomb threat is a little different than releasing a tear gas cannister.”