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Downtown Officers Use Naloxone to Revive 16th Person from Overdose

SPD bike patrol officers revived a man in downtown Seattle last week after he suffered an overdose and collapsed on the street.

Around 1:30 PM on February 23rd, a witness flagged down bike officers Randy Jokela and Jason Drummond in the 1500 block of 3rd Avenue and directed them to an unconscious man, who had fallen down on the street.

The officers rode over to the man and found he was unresponsive. They learned he had injected heroin a short time earlier and appeared to be overdosing.

Officer Drummond gave the man a dose of nasal naloxone spray, and he soon regained consciousness. Medics arrived on scene and transported the man to Harborview Medical Center for treatment.

This incident marks the 16th time officers have successfully used Naloxone since Seattle police began carrying it in mid-March.  The case will become part of the ongoing study conducted by the University of Washington into SPD’s use of Naloxone for a possible department-wide deployment.

As a reminder, Washington  law provides immunity from criminal drug possession charges for anyone seeking medical aid for themselves or someone else experiencing an overdose.