SMYRNA, Ga. — Two Smyrna Police officers were hospitalized after they began experiencing "respiratory distress" after touching paperwork that was dropped off at the department's headquarters on Tuesday.
Little Stone, 51, is now in custody, charged with two counts of aggravated assault on a public safety officer, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation is now involved and is testing the paperwork for potential substances.
According to the warrant, the Stone walked into the Smyrna Police Department headquarters at 2646 Atlanta Road in Smyrna just after 2:45 p.m. and was recording the encounter on his tablet.
Stone spoke with the clerk before speaking to two officers regarding Smyrna Police officers and Gov. Brian Kemp, the document alleges. He then allegedly asked for the Smyrna Police chief's business card and asked the two officers to give the chief some paperwork that he had brought to the station.
The officers then each grabbed two pieces of paper, and Stone rushed out of the building. Within five minutes, each officer began experiencing respiratory issues and "extreme fatigue," the warrant detailed.
“That definitely sounds like a respiratory pathogen,” Dr. Cecil Bennett explained.
11Alive reached out to Dr. Bennett, who is the medical director of Newnan Family Medicine Associates, to get his expert opinion on what might have happened to the officers based on their symptoms.
The warrant said they were both taken to the hospital with "extreme fatigue, chest pain, chest tightness, dizziness, and difficulty breathing."
“Those are all signs and symptoms of a respiratory poisoning,” Dr. Bennett explained.
Stone remains locked up without bond. A judge determined he was a danger to the public.
11Alive looked into his criminal history and discovered he is currently on probation on a charge of terrorist threats, which he pleaded guilty to in 2023. Stone was accused of showing up to Puckett EMS in Austell and telling employees, “I’m going to blow you all up.”
He was arrested in April 2021 for that incident and indicted in February 2023. In October 2023, he was sentenced to 12 months’ probation.
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