A pepper ball deployed during the arrest of a naked man who allegedly broke through the ceiling of a Fresno plasma donation center forced the evacuation of 41 people from several neighboring businesses Wednesday morning, fire officials said.

The Fresno Fire Department said firefighters responded just after 9:30 a.m. to the Blackstone and Dakota avenues to assist with a possible hazardous materials incident following a law enforcement operation.

According to Fresno police, officers responded to Grifols Biomat USA Plasma after reports of a person inside the building’s ceiling or walls. Police said a patient was donating plasma when a man in his 30s broke through the ceiling.

Officers attempted to negotiate with the man, but he refused to come down and continued moving through the ceiling and walls, police said. Investigators said the man threw an object, possibly a pipe, at an officer, nearly striking the officer in the head, and broke a pipe that flooded the building.

Police said the man eventually exited the ceiling but refused officers’ commands, prompting officers to deploy pepper balls before taking him into custody.

The pepper spray, caused by the pepper ball, spread through the multi-tenant commercial building, leading to the evacuation of 41 people from Grifols Plasma Center, Joyride Insurance Company, Leslie’s Pool Supplies, Planet Fitness, and a nearby hair salon, according to the fire department.

Fresno Fire’s Hazardous Materials Response Team and Mobile Ventilation Unit ventilated the affected businesses and monitored air quality before allowing most occupants to return. No injuries were reported.

Grifols Plasma Center remained closed Wednesday while additional cleanup was completed.

The suspect was arrested on suspicion of felony vandalism, assault with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest and trespassing, police said.

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