Full Notification

The Columbia Township Police Department is currently investigating a hazardous situation that occurred at Country Market, in Brooklyn.

The Columbia Township Police Department and Columbia Township Fire Department were dispatched to Country Market on Brooklyn Road at approximately 5:00 P.M. on Monday, April 11, 2016. An adult male and a child were in the bottle return area processing their bottle returns when an explosion was heard from within the bottle recycling equipment. A witness described it as “shaking the room”, although the initial inspection of the room and equipment does not show any damage.

There were no injuries to either subject at that point. Two employees of Country Market then came out to the machine to open it up and inspect it. One employee encountered a burning sensation in his eyes, obviously from whatever was likely in a returned pop bottle that had been crushed and exploded. This employee was transported by ambulance to Bixby Hospital.

The second employee was transported to Bixby as well, as he had been exposed to the fumes as well, and his skin became irritated. A third employee was transported Bixby as a precaution, as he had been possibly exposed to the fumes, but did not exhibit any signs of injury or distress.

It is noted that the bottle return area at this location is in a separate area, on the outside of the store, and is not in the entrance area.

The Jackson Narcotics Enforcement Team (JNET) was requested to the scene, as it was suspected that the bottle in question had possibly contained methamphetamine components. JNET confirmed this as the likely contents of the bottle.

Columbia Township Police are attempting to identify the adult male and juvenile that were depositing the bottles into the bottle return machine. Video of the bottle return area is being examined, and it is believed that the customer returning the bottles likely did not know what was in the bottle.

Citizens are reminded that people that manufacture methamphetamines frequently use a single bottle for the process of making meth, and then discard them on the roadside. Many times, with active components inside the bottle that can still begin a chemical process that causes the bottle to explode, or harmful gas to escape. Anyone finding discarded plastic bottles with unusual components inside them are encouraged to not touch or move them, and request a police officer to check them out.

The bottle return room is closed until cleanup occurs. Columbia Township Police are asking the person seen on the video depositing the bottle in the return machine to contact the Police Department at 517-592-3122.