A Saratoga Springs police investigator was briefly hospitalized on Saturday, Aug. 15, after he came into contact with liquid LSD while making an arrest, according to police.
The investigator, who was not identified by police, was allegedly taking Todd Buchas, 30, of Snowberry Road in Ballston Spa, into custody while working a street-level counter-drug detail.
According to police, Buchas ran when police attempted to take him into custody, attempting to discard items as he did so. After a short foot pursuit that ended at the Saratoga Springs Public Library, Buchas became combative and resisted attempts to take him into custody, police said, at one point attempting to bite an officer on the leg.
According to police, Buchas was in possession of small plastic eyedropper-type containers and he began spraying the liquid, some of which landed on the hands of the investigator.
Shortly after Buchas was placed under arrest the investigator began to feel the effects of the drug. He felt ill and was taken to Saratoga ER, where he spent the next few hours recovering. He was sent home for the remainder of his workday on Saturday but is not expected to miss additional time.
LSD, a powerful synthetic hallucinogen, is unique from most recreational drugs in that it can be absorbed through the skin and requires only a small dosage to trigger an effect, or trip.
Buchas was charged with two misdemeanors: obstructing governmental administration and resisting arrest; and three felonies: assault in the second degree, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fourth degree and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree.
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