SPD bike officers saved a 61-year-old man from a potentially fatal overdose early Tuesday after finding him lying in a downtown alleyway.
Around 12:30 AM Tuesday, Officers Matt Newsome and Dick Bonesteel were on bicycle patrol downtown when they saw a man lying on his back in the 200 block of Stewart Street.
As officers rode up to the man, they noticed an orange hypodermic needle cap on the ground next to him, and found he was foaming at the mouth, sweating profusely and had stopped breathing.
Officer Newsome gave the man a dose of Naloxone, reversing the effects of the apparent overdose in a matter of minutes. The man began breathing again, opened his eyes and began talking with officers.
Medics arrived and treated the man, who was transported by private ambulance to Harborview Medical Center.
This incident–which marks the third time police have successfully used Naloxone since officers began carrying it in mid-March–will become part of the ongoing study conducted by the University of Washington into SPD’s use of Narcan/Naloxone, for a possible department-wide expansion of the program.
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.