Rockdale deputies hospitalized after inhaling meth fumes
Five Rockdale County deputies serving outstanding warrants on an alleged child molester were briefly hospitalized Monday after inhaling fumes from methamphetamine being cooked by the suspect.
Rockdale Sheriff spokeswoman Sgt. Jodi Shupe said the department followed decontamination procedures mandated whenever personnel are exposed to meth by-product.
The deputies were released from the hospital, Channel 2 Action News reported Monday night.
Also hospitalized were the suspect, Charles Doyle Nichols, 50, and another person inside the Old Salem Road residence. That home is located within 100 yards from a day care facility, Shupe said.
Nichols was wanted on three counts of child molestation in Pike County. Rockdale deputies, serving the warrants on Pike's behalf, noticed the smoke when they gained entry into the home, Shupe said.
They found Nichols, from Zebulon, hidden behind a small wall.
"He had been cooking meth," Shupe said.
The Drug Enforcement Agency was on the scene continuing the investigation, she said. Nichols was charged with manufacturing meth.
About the Author
A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.
