On Nov. 13 Healdsburg officers responded to a call of an unconscious man found in a CVS bathroom where he was later successfully revived with Narcan, an opioid suppressing nasal spray that blocks the opioid receptors in the brain. This marks the second time in less than a month that officers have successfully used and administered the drug.
According to the Healdsburg Police Department, the man was found to be in medical distress in the men’s bathroom of the CVS pharmacy at 455 Center St.
Upon arrival, responding officers Rosendo Castro and Darryl Erkel administered two doses of the nasal spray and were able to revive the unconscious man.
Healdsburg Chief of Police Kevin Burke, said officers had to give two doses, as the first dose did not initially revive the man.
“As we learned in our training sometimes you have to give a second dose, so officers waited 90 seconds, administered the second dose and were able to revive the subject,” Burke said, who mentioned that is unknown whether the subject was a Healdsburg resident or not.
While there were few details of the incident, officers say there was evidence of drug use pointing towards the possibility of an opioid overdose.
The subject was then transported to Healdsburg District Hospital.
In late October, Healdsburg officers revived a man who was found in a similar situation.
On Sunday, Oct. 21 officers responded to a call of a man found unconscious in a Safeway bathroom at the Vineyard Plaza Shopping Center on Vine Street.
Responders were able to revive the 35-year-old man who was suspected to have suffered from a drug overdose from a recent drug injection.
Bell’s Ambulance responding medics noted that the officer’s actions saved the man’s life.
The incident may have ended quite differently if it had occurred last year as the Healdsburg Police Department just recently started using the drug. Officers started to receive training this past summer and recently started carrying the nasal packs.
In a previous Tribune article about the Safeway incident, Sgt. Nick Castaneda said illegal drugs and opioid overdoses are unfortunately becoming all too common.
Burke said of the CVS incident on Tuesday, “This is probably the new norm and I am glad we have this necessary tool to help. The opioid epidemic doesn’t seem to be going away and it definitely is here in Healdsburg.”
