Irvine, California – Sixteen members of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department SWAT team were rushed to the hospital after an explosion occurred during an indoor training exercise in Irvine on Wednesday afternoon, according to officials. The incident took place at an FBI training facility at Irvine Boulevard and Magazine Road, resulting in injuries to the SWAT team members.
Authorities reported that one person sustained a leg injury requiring surgery, while two others had minor wounds that did not necessitate surgery. The rest of the team experienced symptoms such as dizziness and ringing in their ears. The cause of the explosion remains unclear as investigations by the Sheriff’s Department and the FBI are ongoing.
During the incident, the SWAT team was engaged in a joint training exercise with the sheriff’s Hazardous Devices Section. Sheriff’s Sgt. Frank Gonzalez mentioned that most of the injured SWAT members have been discharged from the hospital. Notably, the FBI was not participating in the training session, and none of their personnel were harmed during the incident.
According to Laura Eimiller, a spokesperson for the FBI, the training facility regularly hosts firearms training and qualification tests for both the FBI and local law enforcement agencies. Despite the explosion, the FBI and the Sheriff’s Department have committed to conducting a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the incident and prevent similar accidents in the future.
As the authorities delve deeper into the circumstances surrounding the explosion, questions arise about the safety measures in place during such training exercises. The well-being of law enforcement officers and the need for stringent safety protocols during high-risk training sessions have garnered attention in light of this unfortunate incident. The community awaits further updates on the investigation to shed light on what led to the unexpected explosion that left multiple SWAT team members injured.