08 May Two St. Charles County officers, K-9 suffer reaction after being exposed to suspected fentanyl | Law and order
ST. CHARLES COUNTY • Two police officers and a police dog are recovering after suffering adverse reactions following a drug bust, officials said. An initial investigation indicates that the officers and the dog were exposed to fentanyl, according to police.
On Monday at about 10:30 a.m., an officer pulled over a car for a traffic violation on Opal Drive. One person in the car admitted to having methamphetamine, and the drug was confiscated by police. A K-9 officer was called to the scene to do an external search of the car, and the dog alerted police to the scent of drugs. Both people in the car were arrested.
Half an hour later, the dog, named Tank, started to vomit and became lethargic, officials said. Tank’s handler gave him Narcan, which is used to treat opioid overdoses. The dog was taken to a veterinary hospital, where he received a second dose of Narcan.
Within two hours, the officers who had made the original arrest were also suffering symptoms of drug exposure. One of the officers self-administered Narcan and both were taken to a hospital for treatment.
“This is the first time this has happened in our department,” St. Charles County police spokeswoman Val Joyner said, adding that the department was the first in the St. Louis area to train its police force to carry and administer Narcan to those suffering from an opioid overdose. “There’s very high potency fentanyl out on the street … Not only do they have units on their person, but we keep it in the crime lab because you never know what you could be exposed to.”
Both the officers and the dog are recovering and are expected to return to duty soon, Joyner said. Possession charges will be sought against the two suspects.
“The good thing about Narcan is that it’s so rapid,” she said. “As soon as it’s administered, (recipients) start to come around.”
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