Police officer hospitalized after being exposed to fentanyl on duty
Jack Birle
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A police officer in Florida was hospitalized after she reportedly overdosed on fentanyl after being exposed to the drug during a traffic stop.
Police officer Courtney Bannick was searching a passenger during a traffic stop when she noticed a rolled-up dollar bill with fentanyl in it. Bannick closed it and attempted to avoid the substance, per Orlando television station WESH.
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“Next thing you know, she was trying to speak on the radio and you could hear in the radio traffic almost like she was choking,” detective Courtney Sullivan said.
Bannick was going in and out of consciousness and was immediately treated for an overdose with Narcan before being sent to the hospital for further treatment. Officials say Bannick is expected to make a full recovery.
Police body cameras captured the scene following Bannick’s exposure to the drug and the work of the other officers to aid her.
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Police say the suspects who had the fentanyl have been arrested and charged with felony charges for possessing illegal drugs.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Naloxone, which includes the brand name Narcan, should be used in the immediate aftermath if someone appears to be overdosing on opioids, including fentanyl and heroin, via either injection or nasal spray.
The CDC estimates that 71,238 of the 107,622 overdose deaths in 2021 were from fentanyl, a roughly 23% increase from the year before.