Street drugs continue to get more and more dangerous, and addicts are no longer the only ones at risk. A police officer in East Liverpool, Ohio, was rushed to the hospital after he collapsed due to an extremely potent substance on his uniform.
Last Friday night, East Liverpool officers made a traffic stop. They detained two men they believed were involved in a drug transaction. East Liverpool Captain Patrick Write said, “Once they got blocked in, they (the suspects) tried to dispose of the evidence in the vehicle. There was white powder on the seat, on the floor, on the guys’ shoes, and on his clothing.”
Officer Chris Green arrested the two men. He was near the end of his shift in the police station’s break room when one of his colleagues noticed something white on his uniform. Officer Green quickly brushed the white powder off of his uniform, using his bare hands. Within minutes, he fell ill.
Officer Green said, “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.”
Green had worn gloves while searching the suspects’ car. But when he brushed off the powder with his bare hands, he collapsed on the floor and began experiencing an overdose of fentanyl – a powerful opioid that can lethal, even in small amounts. The drug had entered his system through his hands. Paramedics administered Narcan to Green to reverse the effects of the opioid, then rushed him to the hospital.
Fentanyl is 50-100 times more potent than morphine. It’s 30-50 times more potent than heroin. A quarter of a milligram is enough to kill you. Experts say fentanyl’s effects can be felt by being absorbed through the skin or accidentally inhaled. Anyone who comes in contact with the drug is at risk.
Green said the suspects may be charged with assault in relation to the drug exposure. He said the powerful drugs “are not only killing the people willing to shove it into their own veins, now they’re killing people like me and my family.”
Service-Safety Director Brian Allen said, “We take the safety of our officers very seriously and will do our best to protect them. I was very impressed with the quick response of our other officers and emergency personnel. It’s time our state gets tough on those who peddle this poison and creates laws to protect those who protect us.”
Watch the video below for more information:
Sources:
CNN
CNN
Morning Journal News
CNN
WKBN
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