MONROE (WWJ) – An investigation is underway after a correctional officer may have accidentally inhaled drugs during the booking of an inmate over the weekend.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office says a 36-year-old man was being booked at the jail on vehicle theft charges at the time of the incident, around 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
During the booking process, authorities say the correctional officer searched the inmate’s personal property. While doing so, a white powdery substance was released into the air and the officer inadvertently inhaled the substance, according to the sheriff’s office.
Almost immediately, the officer began experiencing numbness in his lower extremities and began having a metallic taste in his mouth, officials said.
The officer’s vitals were taken and shown to be elevated.
That’s when he administered himself 4 mg of Narcan – a medicine that rapidly reverses overdoses.
The officer, whose name and age have not been disclosed, was taken to ProMedica Monroe Regional Hospital. He was treated and released the same day, then returned to work, officials said.
Authorities collected and preserved the remaining substance and sent it off for laboratory testing. If test results confirm the substance is a narcotic, the inmate could be facing additional criminal charges.
Officials with the sheriff’s office did not release the inmate’s name or any details about the alleged vehicle theft.
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