It’s no secret that our area suffers from an epidemic of opioid overdoses and that sometimes the victims aren’t very nice to first responders attempting to save their lives. A man got so out of control at an incident at an area rehab center that deputies had to deploy a Taser to get him under control.
It all started just after 11 p.m. when 9-1-1 received a report of an overdose at an area rehab facility. Staff members had already administered three doses of Narcan to revive the man and they reported he was threatening violence to the staff.
When deputies arrived on the scene, the man told them he refused to go to the hospital, despite the fact he appeared to be quite ill. The man refused to go to the hospital and said that officers might as well arrest him.
Officers advised him that Narcan had worn off and that he should seek further treatment. He again refused and told officers they should arrest him since he’d been behind bars before and all jails were alike.
The deputy granted his wish and took him into custody. While the officer was putting the man in the squad car, he appeared to feel ill. When police tried to place him the back of the vehicle, he refused because he didn’t want to be in the car with “that guy.” The officer noted there was no one else in the vehicle.
The man began to fight officers, who were forced to deploy a taser to control him. He got back up and started fighting again, so officers tasered him once more.
Deputies transported him to St. Mary’s for a medical examination and then took him to the Lawrence County Jail.