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San Francisco target evacuated after pepper spray release

Crime scene police tape is visible across an image with shadowy figures in an interior doorway.
The Target in San Francisco’s Metreon was evacuated after someone released pepper spray in a store bathroom, police said. | Source: Adobe Stock

The Target in San Francisco’s Metreon shopping center was evacuated late Thursday after someone released pepper spray in a store bathroom, officials said.

Officers responded at 7:10 p.m. to the store at 789 Mission St. on a report of employees and customers in the big-box retailer experiencing physical symptoms because of an unknown substance released in the store, according to San Francisco Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Kathryn Winters.

Before officers arrived, paramedics were already at the store assessing people with symptoms, officials said.

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“During their initial investigation, officers found residue consistent with pepper spray in a store bathroom,” Winters added. “No one was injured or transported to the hospital as a result of this incident.”  

The incident comes just a day after someone sprayed bear mace in an Antioch Hobby Lobby, causing a hazmat situation that led to at least 69 people getting medical evaluations or treatment.

Jennifer Wadsworth can be reached at jennifer@sfstandard.com