A white powdery substance that East Liverpool police were told was the opioid fentanyl can be seen on the floor and seat covers of this vehicle.
Police say an Ohio officer suffered an accidental overdose after a drug arrest when he touched powder on his shirt without realizing it was the powerful opiod fentanyl.
Patrolman Chris Green assisted in searching a vehicle operated by Justin Buckel, where suspected drugs were found scattered about near East Liverpool Friday night.
Green patted the man down, noticing he was covered in a white powdery substance, which police now believe was the opioid fentanyl, 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine.
Fentanyl can be absorbed through the skin, and a few specks can kill an adult.
The officer did not wear gloves, but says he otherwise followed protocol.
An hour after the officers returned to the police station, Buckel said he was not feeling well and an ambulance was called.
Then, as officers were standing around and talking, someone told Green he had some powder on his shirt, and he brushed at it with his hand to wipe it off.
“I started talking weird. I slowly felt my body shutting down. I could hear them talking, but I couldn’t respond. I was in total shock. ‘No way I’m overdosing,’ I thought.”
A fellow officer grabbed Green as he began to fall to the floor. The paramedics previously called to the station for Buckel began tending to Green, immediately giving him a dose of the opioid antidote Narcan.
A total of four doses of Narcan had to be administered to completely revive him.
Buckel is expected to be charged with felonious assault in relation to the exposure from the suspected drugs.
#1: sneakypete To: cranky (#0)
sneakypete posted on 2017-05-15 20:31:53 Reply Private Reply
#2: cranky To: sneakypete (#1)
Maybe the dope was packaged and sealed for transport/sale but the packaging was opened to inspect the contents.
Interesting point, though.
cranky posted on 2017-05-16 08:42:35 Reply Private Reply
#3: sneakypete To: cranky (#2)
The story seems to indicate the white powder was just laying on the carpet in plain view.
How many cops do YOU know that would be casual about dealing with white powder spilled in the carpet of a car? I'm not even a cop and I know enough to back off and call in a haz mat squad to investigate.
sneakypete posted on 2017-05-16 17:28:07 Reply Private Reply
#4: cranky To: sneakypete (#3)
"Green patted the man down, noticing he was covered in a white powdery substance, which police now believe was the opioid fentanyl, 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine."
I guess that explains it.
cranky posted on 2017-05-16 17:40:53 Reply Private Reply
#5: sneakypete To: cranky (#4)
I can't remember the last time I saw a video of a cop patting anyone down/searching them that wasn't wearing surgical gloves.
Given the warnings that they get in training and the experiences they have making arrests,it boggles the imagination that ANY cop that has been running a patrol car for more than a week would even touch someone with white powder on him without donning gloves first. Or powder of any other color,AFATG.
sneakypete posted on 2017-05-16 20:37:02 Reply Private Reply