A routine welfare check at Homeslice Pizza on College Drive turned into a medical emergency Saturday night when four Durango Police Department officers, a clinician and a restaurant employee were exposed to fentanyl.
DPD Deputy Chief Chris Gonzalez said officers were asked to conduct a welfare check on a man locked in the bathroom who may have overdosed on drugs.
“The employees called in a welfare check on a male patron who had been locked in the bathroom for over 20 minutes and was not responsive,” Gonzalez said. “(When officers arrived) they were able to make contact with him through the door, and when he finally opened the door, the first officer received a face full of smoke from an unidentified substance.”
Gonzalez said the officer, later identified as Brian Burt, immediately became lightheaded before losing consciousness. Another officer on the scene administered Narcan, a medication used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, and Burt was quickly revived.
Gonzales said the individual in the bathroom was likely freebasing the fentanyl, a process in which the drug is melted in foil and vaporized for inhalation. Because the drug was vaporized, multiple people were exposed to the smoke, including an employee with asthma, and were taken to Mercy Hospital along with the officers and the user, he said.
“Because of the exposure, (Burt) and the other officers were either transported or taken to the hospital for decontamination and treatment,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez said there has been debate online about what constitutes exposure. He said the severity of the exposure depends on how someone comes into contact with the substance.
“Though this substance is very deadly, seeing a pill sitting there will not create an exposure and overdose,” he said. “You actually do absorb it through your skin, but it takes a little bit of work. But if you inhale vapor, that is actually very dangerous. And so just the probability of being exposed here in Durango is relatively low, but it’s possible.”
All of the individuals affected Saturday night were treated and released, according to a news release from DPD.
“We are deeply grateful for the quick response of our fire and rescue partners at the scene and for the outstanding care provided by the staff at Mercy Hospital,” the release said. “Their combined efforts ensured the safety and well-being of everyone involved.”
Gonzalez said the department consulted with the 6th District Attorney’s Office about whether to charge the individual using fentanyl, but ultimately no charges were filed. Once treated at Mercy, the man was taken home by officers, Gonzalez said.
Because no charges were filed, the department declined to release the individual’s identity.
Homeslice Pizza declined to comment for this story.
Gonzalez said that while fentanyl is present in Durango, it is less common than in some other communities. But he urged residents to remain cautious and aware.
“Law enforcement across the country has made concerted efforts to reduce the overdose deaths from fentanyl, but the possibility is still there, no matter how much work we put into it,” Gonzalez said. “It’s a horrible, horrible substance that really puts the lives of the users in danger. And that’s our biggest issue with it – it’s dangerous to not just the individual user, it’s dangerous to the public.”
Narcan is widely available in the community. In addition to outreach groups, La Plata County Public Health provides free Narcan at its front desk.
Additionally, all DPD officers carry the medication, Gonzalez said. If someone suspects fentanyl is present or being used, they are urged to call police. He also encouraged residents to carry Narcan if they have friends or family members who use fentanyl.
“Those type of treatments are actually very successful,” he said. “If you keep Narcan on hand, you have a much higher rate of saving them.”
sedmondson@durangoherald.com
