An Indiana deputy collapsed after coming into contact with fentanyl while patting down a suspect — and had to be revived with Narcan, officials said.
Wayne County Sheriff’s Deputy Brandon Creech was in the process of booking Daniel Cox into jail when he discovered a small grinder and a baggie containing an “unknown powdery substance.”
Just a few minutes after the patdown, Creech began to feel ill and suddenly collapsed, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department stated in a press release.
Jail deputies and medics rushed to Creech’s side and administered to him three doses of the opioid overdose reversal drug Narcan, which improved his condition.
Creech was then taken to Reid Hospital and released after a few hours of observation.
The powder inside the baggie that was allegedly found on Cox tested positive for fentanyl, sheriff’s officials confirmed.
The law enforcement agency is investigating the incident to determine if additional criminal charges should be brought against Cox.
“It is incredibly important that if someone finds an unknown substance that they suspect could be fentanyl or other drugs, that they leave the item alone and call police,” the sheriff’s new release stated.
“Exposure to fentanyl can be fatal, especially if medical help (including Narcan) is not really available.”
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.
Fentanyl is often passed off as heroin or added to heroin to increase its potency, according to the DEA.
This article appeared in The New York Post