Cleaning chemicals marked in cop death

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CHICAGO, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- A Chicago police officer died from the aerosol cleaning chemicals sprayed by the janitor during morning roll call, a medical examiner ruled.

The Cook County Medical Examiner said Kevin Robinson, 42, breathed in fumes from the cleaning spray used at the Morgan Park District police station March 7. The next day he was hospitalized with breathing problems and died April 4, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Thursday.

Officer Curtis Smith, Robinson's patrol partner, said he wants the department to treat Smith's death "as in the line of duty," the newspaper said.

Smith said janitors routinely sprayed chemicals during roll call in the police station. The cleaning product has not been identified.

The medical examiner's autopsy report said Robinson suffered from asthma as a child, but did not smoke and had no health problems that suggested he was at increased risk from cleaning products.