I can’t tell anyone how many people I took to jail while under the influence of Meth.
I think I used Narcan nasal spray 4 times to save a person’s life.
I remember one night while I was patrolling the Pennsylvania Turnpike, I saw a car parked on the side with the lights on and the engine off. This is not legal and the drivers are shown signs that tell sleepy drivers to use one of the many pull-offs available. I walked up to the vehicle and I could tell that the driver was unconscious, but the doors were locked, so I could not open it.
I ran back to my vehicle and grabbed my glass breaker and broke the window to gain entry. I dragged the driver outside and laid him down in back of his vehicle and in front of mine, so I had plenty of light. I didn’t smell alcohol, but I did find his empty film tube and tasted a little of what was left in the tube. It was definitely Meth. I checked for a pulse, which was very weak. I sprayed the Narcan up his nose and waited a few minutes and he didn’t respond, so I gave him a second dose and he finally came out of it. I thought I lost him.
I had already called for a backup and an EMT. Both arrived simultaneously. He was transported to the hospital and given a check-up and once he was cleared, you guessed it, I arrested him. We can’t have drivers on the highway that are operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or any drug, especially narcotics. It was 1:30 a.m. at the time of my stop. It was after 4 when I got him to jail. Not that it matters, but the driver turned out to be a 20 y/o male from Youngstown, OH and the son of an ordained Evangelical Lutheran Pastor.
I spoke with the Pastor at 6 a.m. before I went off duty to let him know what was going on with his son, who was supposed to be in Youngstown the night before and they were worried that he may have been in an accident. The Pastor was very apologetic for his son, which I told him I knew exactly what he was going through because I have been through this several times before. It’s exactly like he said, “I’m sure you have.” The Pastor was also very thankful for saving his son’s life.
BTW, it’s highly suggested that police do not continue to taste material they suspect as being a drug.