A policeman had used fentanyl and methamphetamine and overdosed from the drug combination on August 10 in Battle Ground, Washington, officials say.
Law enforcement said 54-year-old Sgt. Richard Kelly was pronounced dead at a hospital once he was found unconscious in his office at the department, and he suffered a medical emergency while on duty, OregonLive.com reported Thursday.
Investigators determined that Sergeant Richard Kelly’s death was “more likely than not caused by an intentional act and not an incidental workplace exposure.”https://t.co/4zW3kGQdCq
— KOIN News (@KOINNews) October 26, 2023
In a press release, the City of Battle Ground said the Clark County Medical Examiner determined Kelly died from the combined effects of the drugs:
To maintain transparency and an unbiased investigation, Battle Ground Police Chief Mike Fort immediately requested the assistance of the Vancouver Police Department to conduct an independent investigation into the matter.
Detectives with the Vancouver Police Department have now completed their independent investigation of the physical evidence observed at the scene, a review of the Clark County Medical Examiner’s report, and the toxicology reports. They have concluded Sgt. Kelly’s death was “more likely than not caused by an intentional act and not an incidental workplace exposure.”
According to KOIN, investigators are not sure where the fentanyl came from but noted it was consistent with fentanyl that officers seized in the hours before the incident happened.
Fort said in a statement, “Substance abuse is a serious problem that often goes unsuspected and undetected. As a community, we need to support local efforts to assist anyone struggling with the effects of mental health and substance abuse so they may achieve recovery.”
During a recent interview on Fox News Channel’s America’s Newsroom, Laredo, Texas, Mayor Victor Trevino said officials must work harder to stop fentanyl crossing the border.
“And we have to push the idea that this is a crisis, not only for certain cities, but the whole country,” he commented, later adding, “So, that is where the crux is, stopping it at the border. But before we get there, stopping it where it’s produced and shipped, precursor material shipped from China.”
The White House recently asked Congress to spend another $24 billion fighting Russia in Ukraine but a mere $800 million battling fentanyl and other deadly drugs affecting communities across the United States, Breitbart News reported in August.
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U.S. House of Representatives“In 2022, roughly 110,000 Americans died from drug overdoses, principally, from the fentanyl smuggled in from China and Mexico via free-trade routes,” the report said.
According to the OregonLive.com report, Fort has since ordered an independent audit of how seized drugs and evidence are handled “and will institute training changes as needed based on the findings, police said.”
Fort thanked neighbors and other police agencies for supporting his officers, adding that “Sgt. Kelly’s unexpected passing was a significant and traumatic event for his co-workers, family, and friends.”
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