Bloomington Police Department officers responded Wednesday to five apparent heroin overdoses in the span of about six hours, which police said was unusually high for a single day. In all cases, the men were revived with the overdose-reversing drug Narcan and taken to the hospital.
BPD Sgt. Ryan Pedigo said he didn’t know whether BPD will investigate the overdoses as related incidents.
“It does seem like a lot,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s a super-potent batch of it or what.”
Police first responded at about 1:45 p.m. to the parking lot of the CVS at 2650 S. Walnut St. after a woman complained the man who was supposed to give her a ride appeared to be unconscious.
The woman administered Narcan and police and an ambulance responded. The man, 36, regained consciousness and was taken to the hospital. Pedigo said officers saw syringes and a spoon in the cab of the truck. Shortly after, police were called to the intersection of South Walnut Street and East Wylie Street after someone reported an unconscious man. The witness told police he could not find a pulse on the man, then performed CPR, dialed 911 and eventually did find a pulse. He also saw several syringes and a spoon with residue near the man, Pedigo said.
The 41-year-old man was taken to the hospital, where he was somewhat alert, Pedigo said. He told police he’d done heroin and it was his first time taking the drug.
Later in the afternoon, at 5:37 p.m., police were dispatched to a residence at the 1600 block of North Willis Drive. People at the residence said they’d been in another room when they heard the 44-year-old man fall in the rear bedroom.
They found him unconscious on the floor but with a pulse. A spoon and cotton ball were found in the room. Officers administered Narcan, and the man was taken to the hospital.
Just after that, at about 6:20 p.m., officers responded to a location nearby, at the 700 block of West Gourley Pike. They administered Narcan to a man believed to have overdosed in the front seat of a car. The 28-year-old regained consciousness and told police he’d smoked heroin.
Later that night, at 9:52 p.m., a man who’d gone to a friend’s apartment on the 500 block of West Lava Way reported he’d entered the apartment to find the 19-year-old friend unconscious. BPD and emergency medical technicians responded, and the emergency medical service administered Narcan. The friend told police he knew the man used heroin.
Jack Evans
