20s Arrested for Spraying Fire Extinguisher and Filming Four Elementary and Middle School Students on Emergency Staircase

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Two men in their 20s were booked by the police on suspicion of spraying fire extinguisher powder at four teenagers in a commercial building in Incheon.

On the 26th, the Nonhyeon Police Station in Incheon announced that two men in their 20s, including Mr. A, were booked without detention on charges of assault. The suspects are accused of spraying fire extinguisher powder at four female students?one elementary school student and three middle school students?at a commercial building in Nonhyeon-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon, at around 4:57 p.m. the previous day. Police believe that one of the suspects sprayed the powder while the other recorded the incident on a mobile phone.

The victims were on the emergency stairs of the building when they were covered with the fire extinguisher powder. They complained of breathing difficulties and skin inflammation and received medical treatment at a hospital.

Mr. A and the other suspect are employees of a store located in the building and are believed to have no prior acquaintance with the students. They reportedly stated that they sprayed the fire extinguisher because they saw cigarette smoke near the emergency exit. Regarding the video recording, they initially claimed it was to preserve evidence but later partially retracted their statement, saying it was recorded as a prank.

The police are investigating the exact circumstances of the incident based on CCTV footage around the scene and witness statements. A police official said, "There are parts of Mr. A and others’ claims that are not convincing, so they were booked for now, and we plan to verify whether there was a legitimate reason to spray the fire extinguisher." The official added, "Depending on the extent of the students’ injuries, the charges may be changed to assault."

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