News Details
Officers Successfully Administer Narcan to Man Suffering Heroin Overdose
(Duluth, Georgia) On Tuesday, April 26, at around 11:45am, an officer assigned to the Central Precinct was patrolling the parking lot of the Gwinnett Place Mall in unincorporated Duluth. A motorist pulled up next to Officer D’Arienzo near Ring Road and Venture Parkway. The male exited his vehicle and began frantically telling the officer that his passenger was unconscious and possibly overdosing.
The officer immediately requested an ambulance over his police radio. Officer Hancock, who was also at the scene, began to assess the victim. The passenger was sweating and slumped over in the vehicle. He was not conscious or alert and had very shallow breathing. His face was pale and his lips were turning blue. The driver told the officers that the passenger may have overdosed on heroin. Visible track marks could be seen on his arm.
Sgt. Price responded to the scene and asked for a Narcan-equipped officer to be on his way to their location. The passenger was removed out the vehicle and prepped for Narcan. Officer Cleland arrived and the Narcan was administered. The passenger’s breathing was so shallow that the officers began preparing to use the AED. As soon as the AED pads were applied to the passenger, he became conscious. He opened his eyes and began to talk.
Members of the Gwinnett County Fire Department soon arrived on scene. The passenger ultimately refused to be transported to the hospital despite all the recommendations from GCFD, GCPD, the driver, and the passenger’s mother (who arrived later).
Gwinnett County Police Officers were initially equipped with AEDs and Narcan in May of 2015. This is another example of the effectiveness of this initiative. Many lives have been saved by officers using the AED or the Narcan.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (www.drugabuse.gov), “about 23% of individuals who use heroin become dependent on it.”