Botched battery surgery

Three officers were dispatched to Hillcrest Hall on Wednesday, March 4 in response to a fire alarm. Upon arrival, the officers met with the occupant of the room, who was the source of the call, and the on-duty resident director. The resident said he was attempting to remove the lithium battery from his cellphone with a knife and accidentally pierced the battery.

The resident noted that as soon as he punctured the battery, it began to spark and smoke. He said he was able to get the battery out of his phone and dropped it on the floor where it continued to smoke and spark, eventually catching fire. He said he then poured water over the battery to put the flames out, but it continued to smoke. One of the officers located the still smoking battery and removed it from the room before bringing it outside to keep the smoke from further filling the room or hallway. The Auburn Hills Fire Department arrived on the scene and helped air out the room. Dispatch reset the smoke detector in Hillcrest Hall, and all units were cleared from the scene.