Police officers recovering after apparent poisoning

Substance embedded in papers left officers dizzy, struggling to breathe, warrant says
Two Smyrna officers were briefly hospitalized after handling a document brought into police headquarters. (Photo/Rebecca Wright for the AJC)

Two Smyrna officers were briefly hospitalized after handling a document brought into police headquarters. (Photo/Rebecca Wright for the AJC)

Two Smyrna police officers are recovering after someone brought in paperwork investigators believe contained a substance that left them suffering from “extreme fatigue, chest pain, chest tightness, dizziness, and difficulty breathing,” an arrest warrant says.

Little Gaston Stone, 51, has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault against an officer. The arrest warrant said he walked into the department’s headquarters on Tuesday, recording the visit via a tablet device and speaking about Gov. Brian Kemp.

Minutes later, two officers reported reported feeling fatigue and respiratory distress and were taken to the hospital for treatment, according to investigators.

“The FBI has taken custody of the letter presented by Mr. Stone for additional testing,” the warrant says.

Stone was arrested Tuesday afternoon and remained Friday in the Cobb jail without bond, booking records showed.

At the time of his arrest this week, Scott was already on probation for a separate case, according to Cobb court records.

In October, he was sentenced to 12 months on probation after pleading guilty to terroristic threats. In April 2021, Stone was indicted in the case for threatening to blow up a building, records state.

Stone was also given probation in Cobb in 1996 for aggravated assault. In 2004, he was given credit for serving a year in jail after pleading guilty to aggravated assault and battery, with nine years to be served on probation, court records showed.