Fayetteville officer uses injector to save man who overdosed
FAYETTEVILLE (WTVD) -- A Fayetteville police officer became a lifesaver Tuesday when he treated a man who overdosed on heroin.
Officer Donnie Smith now carries an electronic injector that counteracts opiate overdoses.
The man's girlfriend called for help saying her boyfriend overdosed on heroin. She said he was slumped over and unconscious in the 6400 block of Cliffdale Road.
"I brought him out of the car, placed him on his side, and got this out (the injector)," said Smith. "It walked me through exactly what to do, where to put it, where I was supposed to be for the injection. Five to six minutes later, he was sitting up -- eyes wide open, good to go."
A Fayetteville police spokesman said about half of the officers now carry the handheld anti-opiate which is called Naloxone.
They hope to have the life-saving device in the hands of all officers in the next few months.
Opioids are responsible for the majority of deaths from drug overdoses in North Carolina each year.
