SPD bike officers saved a man on Sunday from a potentially fatal overdose in downtown Seattle.
Officers Josh Dunbar, Jim Kellett and Randy Jokela were riding through downtown shortly before 5 PM when they heard dispatchers broadcast a report of an apparent overdose at 3rd Avenue and Spring Street.
Officers Dunbar, Kellett and Jokela quickly rode to the scene, where they found SFD EMTs treating a 56-year-old man, who appeared to be suffering a heroin overdose. The man’s skin had turned blue and his breathing had slowed, and EMTs noted they had found fresh needle marks on his arm. EMTs then asked officers to administer a dose of Naloxone, a life-saving drug used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
Officer Jokela used a dose of Naloxone nasal spray on the man, who opened his eyes and fully regained consciousness a few minutes later. He was able to was able to walk to a gurney under his own power before he was transported to Harborview Medical Center.
This incident marks the fourth time police have successfully used Naloxone since officers 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 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.