Three people were taken to a hospital with minor illnesses Saturday after a pepper ball was discharged inside a Wawa convenience store in Stafford County.
Stafford County Fire and Rescue crews responded around 5 p.m. to a hazardous materials call at the Wawa on Warrenton Road at Litchfield Boulevard. Firefighters isolated the area while investigating. The source was identified as a pepper ball, a self-defense tool that fires a projectile filled with a powdered chemical irritant, similar to pepper spray, and can be launched up to 150 feet.
Three patients were transported to a local hospital. Units from the Fredericksburg Fire Department and Fauquier County Fire and Rescue System assisted. Officials said there was no danger to the public and asked people to avoid the area so crews could work. Stafford County Fire and Rescue units later cleared the scene.
The incident remains under investigation. Information comes from Stafford County Fire and Rescue social media updates.
Subscribe to our FREE email newsletter to get local news you can trust.
https://www.potomaclocal.com/email-subscription/
