A man was arrested yesterday afternoon for disorderly conduct after multiple victims reported he had been yelling at and chasing people around with fire retardant.
According to the City of Madison Police Department incident report, two women, 19, first encountered Odell Chalmers, 22, while near State St., and he chased them to their West Lakelawn apartment where they were able find safety inside.
Chalmers also chased a third woman, 20, before she was able to get inside her place of residence safely. She told officers that she then watched as the suspect sprayed a fourth victim with fire retardant. When the suspect moved on, the woman went to the victim, who was dumbfounded and confused at what had just happened to him.
When Central District officer finally caught up with the suspect on W. Lakelawn Place that afternoon, they asked why he had yellow and white powder all over himself, to which the suspect replied, “I was baking a cake.”
This, of course, was not what several witnesses saw him doing. The suspect had been drinking, and he was taken into custody.
An arresting officer indicated that as a condition of the suspect’s bail, he would request the District Attorney to prohibit the suspect from possessing a fire extinguisher unless for the purposes of putting out an actual fire.
