GREENFIELD — Two people were hospitalized, including a local police officer, after a woman reported finding methamphetamine in her home.
When several Greenfield Police Department officers arrived at the scene in the 100 block of West Pierson Street around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, they discovered the home contained a meth lab — one the 911 caller said had been left behind by a visitor, police said.
Greenfield police Lt. Matt Holland was one of the first officers to arrive and soon after complained of a burning sensation in his chest — a common symptom for exposure to the compounds used to cook meth — and was taken to Hancock Regional Hospital and released later Tuesday morning, said Greenfield police Sgt. Ron Chittum.
The homeowner, who a neighbor said relies on an oxygen tank to breathe, was also taken to the hospital and released Tuesday morning.
The homeowner told police she discovered the drugs in a bedroom after a man who had been visiting a relative there left the house. Police are still searching for the suspect and say they plan to seek felony charges.
After discovering the meth lab, local police called the Indiana State Police meth suppression unit, which disassembled the lab and removed the equipment.
Chittum reported that the lab was a relatively small operation but said a lab of any size is unstable.
“If any water gets on this stuff, it’ll explode,” he said. “That can cause serious chemical burns, and if you get the actual chemical agents on your skin, then you can die.”
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 317-477-4410.
