7 inmates taken to hospital after apparent fentanyl overdoses
Seven inmates were hospitalized on Wednesday night after experiencing what officials described as "a medical emergency" while incarcerated at a jail in northwestern Washington. Authorities believe the inmates may have suffered from fentanyl overdoses, the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office office said.
The sheriff's office, which is leading a criminal investigation into the incident, confirmed Thursday that all of the inmates who were hospitalized had since been discharged and returned to the Snohomish County Jail.
The office said earlier that detectives believed an inmate brought fentanyl into the jail and had identified a possible suspect. By Thursday morning, authorities had referred two charges for a 37-year-old inmate for possession of a controlled substance inside a correctional facility. The inmate was booked on three theft warrants, according to the sheriff.
The Everett Fire Department previously acknowledged that there had been a "multiple casualty incident" involving seven inmates at the Snohomish County Jail, about 30 miles north of Seattle, in a series of tweets as well as a Facebook post.
"Shortly after 7:30 p.m. this evening, Everett Fire was dispatched to the Snohomish County Jail for a medical emergency involving multiple inmates," the fire department said.
Everett Fire is on-scene of a medical incident at Snohomish County Jail involving multiple patients. EFD has transported a total of 7 patients to the hospital. SCSO will be taking the lead of the police investigation of the incident. pic.twitter.com/uIB2CTbvFP
— Everett Fire WA (@EverettFire) May 18, 2023
Fire officials transported a total of seven patients to a hospital. No deaths were reported in connection with the incident at the time of the Facebook update, according to the fire department.
The fire department was called to the jail after deputies observed unusual behaviors in one of the inmates, which appeared to be consistent with symptoms of an overdose caused by the drug fentanyl, according to the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office. The inmate was swaying back and forth and falling against a wall, CBS affiliate KIRO-TV reported. Six other inmates then began to display the same behaviors, the sheriff said. All seven received Narcan and were conscious during their transport to Providence Regional Medical Center.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, similar but much more potent than morphine, that is sometimes abused or found laced in other drugs. Its effects can be deadly, and health officials have warned that its role in U.S. drug overdoses is becoming more prevalent.