Significant damage was done to the basement bathroom of the James L. McIntyre Centennial Library on Thursday as paramedics, police and firefighters worked to safely extract a woman who was in a state of mental health crisis.
The first responders worked for over 30 minutes to extract the woman from a "difficult to access area" of the library, said Sault Police spokesperson Lincoln Louttit. Emergency responders were seen bringing various items into the library basement, including two ladders and a high-powered saw.
Officer responded under the Mental Health Act, said Louttit.
The library was initially still open while the first responders worked to free her, but the building was evacuated when the water and power was shut off to allow them to cut through a wall, said Matthew MacDonald, CEO of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library.
First responders cut through the masonry and part of the ceiling to eventually free the woman, said MacDonald.
When asked why the first responders required ladders in the basement, MacDonald confirmed the woman had made her way into the drop ceiling and into another part of the wall.
Work has been done recently to identify where there may be asbestos in the almost 60-year-old building. MacDonald said he believes the risk of exposure in the wall that was cut into would be low.
This isn’t the first time the library has experienced these kinds of incidents, said MacDonald. When they occur, he said his primary focus is on keeping his staff and the public safe.
”We have had other incidents of overdoses and disturbances in the washrooms, but this is the most severe,” said MacDonald. “We also know that this is going to costly affect other peoples’ perception of the library of the safe place, which is really unfortunate because we try to make it as safe a place as possible.”
Eventually, the woman was removed from the building conscious on a stretcher and taken to hospital at about 11:30 a.m.
Louttit said the woman has been charged with mischief over $5,000 in light of the significant amount of damage that was caused to safely extract her.
One Sault Police officer attending the incident was treated by paramedics at the scene for an injury to his arm. Louttit said the injury was minor and occurred as a result of the extraction, not from an assault by the woman.
The building remains closed for the rest of the day as damage is assessed. MacDonald noted the other library branches remain open.
As SooToday previously reported, security issues have become a major concern at the downtown library. Last year, staff concerns about an aggressive, threatening man outside resulted in a facility lockdown and a complaint to the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.