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Sick Inmate, Guard Prompts Jail Evacuation

Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.
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The Florida Channel
Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.

Authorities say a Florida jail was evacuated after an inmate and a guard became ill.

A Hernando County Sheriff's Office news release says the county jail was evacuated Tuesday afternoon.

Officials say an inmate had complained of feeling ill and was transferred to the medical unit, where he admitted to smoking an illegal narcotic. While checking for contraband in the inmate's cell, a detention deputy also began to feel ill.

About 40 inmates were removed from the building, and the county's HAZMAT team responded.

The release says the deputy and inmate were both feeling better Wednesday.

Initial testing identified the substance taken from the inmate's cell as an illegal narcotic, though the release didn't say which one.