Man revived from opioid overdose at county jail
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, March 21, 2018
EVERETT — A man was revived from an opioid overdose Monday after he collapsed just prior to being booked into the Snohomish County Jail on drug and assault charges.
The man, 32, had been arrested by Edmonds police for investigation of fourth-degree assault and possession of methamphetamine. He was at the jail in the booking area when he lapsed into unconsciousness and began gasping for air, said Shari Ireton, a spokeswoman for the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, which operates the jail.
A jail nurse working in the booking area quickly administered two doses of Narcan, and the man was revived.
He was taken to Providence Regional Medical Center Everett, where hospital staff confirmed the man had overdosed on opiates. He was returned to jail a few hours later.
The jail has stepped up health screenings at booking as part of a series of reforms to make the lockup safer, particularly in response to more detainees abusing opioids and other drugs. The county recently began coordinating its response to what it considers an epidemic, using the same techniques it would employ when responding to a natural disaster.
