A Coquitlam man is facing charges after an incident involving hazardous materials at the RCMP detachment Monday morning.
Police allege the 55-year-old man walked into the detachment on Guildford Way at 9:30 a.m. and proceeded to spread a powdery substance on the ground inside, claiming it was poison.
The man was immediately arrested and the detachment was evacuated as a precaution. The building was closed for over four hours while a hazmat team investigated before giving the all-clear.
Coquitlam RCMP later confirmed the substance was not poison. In-house testing confirmed it was “a street drug” that was not fentanyl, which eliminated any threat to public safety.
The suspect, who has no fixed address, has been charged with one count of public mischief and one count of possession of a controlled substance.
He has since been released with a promise to appear in court on July 16.