Pepper spray incident forces Panera evacuation

Emergency personnel evacuated a local Panera Bread after 6 p.m. Thursday, in response to a hazmat situation.

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office established a perimeter near the 5800 block of Bee Ridge Road after a teenager shot pepper spray in the eatery, while the Sarasota County Fire Department set up a triage to treat customers, according to a news release.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, the 16-year-old male who admitted to spraying the mace did not intend to harm anyone, and his parents are cooperating with the investigation.