WAYNE COUNTY, INDIANA, Ind. — An Indiana sheriff's office said a jail deputy was taken to the hospital after being exposed to fentanyl while patting down a suspect.
The suspect, Daniel Cox, was arrested by Richmond Police and taken to the Wayne County Jail.
Deputy Brandon Creech was booking him into the jail when, during a patdown, he found a small grinder and a baggie with a powdery substance in it.
In a Facebook post, the Wayne County Sheriff's Office said the substance was field tested and identified as containing fentanyl.
Within a few minutes of finding the baggie, the sheriff's office claimed Creech began to feel sick and suddenly collapsed.
Deputies, medical staff and the Richmond officer jumped in to help.
Three doses of Narcan were given to Creech, which the sheriff's office said helped his condition.
Creech was taken to Reid Health Hospital for evaluation and treatment. He was released a few hours later.
Authorities said the incident is being investigated to determine if any additional criminal charges are appropriate.
In its post about the incident, the sheriff's office said it's "incredibly important" that anyone who finds an unknown substance that they think could be fentanyl or other drugs, leave it alone and call the police.
"Fentanyl is deadly in very small doses. Exposure to fentanyl can be fatal, especially if medical help (including Narcan) is not readily available," a post by the sheriff's office said.
The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office has a Narcan vending machine in the Jail lobby. Narcan kits are free through this program.
The sheriff's office strongly encouraged anyone who knows of someone who may be exposed to opioids to pick up a kit.
EDITOR'S NOTE: 13News has reached out to the sheriff's office for more details about how the deputy was exposed to the drug.
