PALATKA, Fla. – A Putnam County deputy was rushed to a hospital Friday after he was exposed to an unknown substance during a traffic stop in Palatka, according to the sheriff’s office.
The deputy pulled over a driver on Moseley Avenue between St. Johns Avenue and Reid Street just before 2:30 p.m. While he was searching the car, a small container exploded, exposing him to a powdery substance, officials said.
“Fortunately for him, he was very conscious and very alert. Rescue responded and transported him. There was a sense of urgency because we didn’t know what the substance was,” Major Steve Rose with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said.
The PCSO did not want to risk another deputy being injured while searching the suspicious truck, so the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office Hazmat Team and Bomb Squad were called in for help.
Two bomb squad robots searched the truck for explosives before the bomb squad crew could enter the vehicle to collect evidence.
The truck driver who was pulled over was detained. The sheriff’s office did not say why the driver was initially pulled over.
The suspect was identified as Charles Legault. He is charged with possessing explosives, aggravated battery, and a weapons offense.
He was booked into the Putnam County jail late Friday.
The sheriff’s office did not reveal what was collected.
The deputy was taken to the hospital, where he was evaluated and released. The sheriff’s office said he was in good condition.