Business owner says he spread chemicals in one of Anchorage's gathering places for homeless people. [View all]
Anchorage police said Friday that they've opened an investigation after a longtime critic of city homelessness policy claimed responsibility for spreading potentially hazardous chemicals in one of the city's most popular gathering places for homeless people.
The discovery of the chemical — a type of pool cleaner, calcium hypochlorite — prompted a major response that involved at least three city agencies. Officials said that the incident generated fear and unneeded stress among the already-vulnerable people who frequent the area, as well as for workers at the nearby soup kitchen and homeless shelter that support them.
The critic, area business owner Ron Alleva, was undeterred.
Alleva said he got permission from a city employee, whom he wouldn't name, to spread the chemicals as a disinfectant, after police swept through the block Wednesday to clear out campers and loiterers.
"All that was was bleach," he said, adding: "You're not handling uranium."
Read more: https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2018/06/09/a-man-says-he-spread-chemicals-in-one-of-the-citys-gathering-places-for-homeless-people-now-police-are-investigating/
Ron Alleva looks down Karluk Street on Thursday as the fire department responded to the chemicals he claimed to have spread near Bean’s Cafe and Brother Francis Shelter. (Bob Hallinen / ADN)
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