Man on video sought in foul fumes at mall

Spokane police investigating last month’s NorthTown Mall fumes incident said they’ve identified a person of interest and want to find out who the man is.

The detective working on the Feb. 11 case reviewed mall surveillance video, which revealed a man – described as white, in his early 20s, with an average build and a goatee – running through the area where people later complained of coughing, watery eyes and runny noses, said Officer Jennifer DeRuwe.

Those symptoms are in line with what police believe to be a pepper-spray type irritant being released into the air, she said. The substance won’t be officially known until results from the state crime lab come in.

The man that police are seeking was wearing a 2-tone baseball hat, with a dark color on the front and a lighter one in back. He wore a light-colored T-shirt and dark mid- to calf-length pants and white shoes.

The video shows the man running away from the second-floor entrance to JCPenney, where the incident was centered. Immediately after, people started to show signs of the irritant.

At least 36 people went to area hospitals after the incident, and dozens of fire crews and police officers responded to the mall.

The entire mall was evacuated, causing massive traffic delays as cars tried to leave the parking garages.

City firefighters and police officers initially treated the incident with increased vigilance and speed due to post-Sept. 11 fears, a fire official said later. Eight fire engines, two dozen firefighters, 20 police officers and at least five ambulances descended upon the shoppers who inhaled the irritant.

Sophisticated airborne chemical detectors found nothing at the scene.

Many shoppers’ personal items were seized by police as part of their investigation, but most of those items are now available for pick-up, DeRuwe said.

Anyone still needing their personal items, or who has information on the case is asked to call Detective Wuthrich at (509) 625-4276.