Anaheim officer treated for possible fentanyl exposure

An Anaheim police officer suffered symptoms of a possible fentanyl exposure Monday morning as he transported a suspect alleged to have possessed the dangerous drug to the city’s jail for booking, authorities said.

The officer arrested the suspect for possessing fentanyl for sale and collected the drugs, Anaheim police Sgt. Shane Carringer told City News Service.

The officer started feeling light-headed as he drove the suspect to the city’s jail at about 2:30 a.m. and pulled over at Sycamore and East streets to call for help, Carringer said.

Paramedics treated the officer at the scene and did not need to administer NARCAN nasal spray used to counter opioid overdoses, the sergeant said.

The officer refused to go to a hospital for further treatment and the suspect was taken to jail for booking, Carringer said.

Anaheim Fire & Rescue treated the patrol car as a hazardous materials scene and cleared the suspected fentanyl from the vehicle, he said.

The incident followed this weekend’s release of body cam footage by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department of a deputy allegedly overdosing after exposure to fentanyl and rescued by his partner administering NARCAN.

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