Sunday, May 5, 2024
Three Gatesville police officers were recognized at Gatesville City Council for their efforts in saving the life of a Coryell County sheriff deputy after he was exposed to fentanyl during a narcotics arrest.
During a regular meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 14, Gatesville Police Chief Brad Hunt presented a Life Saving Award to Officer Anthony Martinez and Meritorious Conduct Awards to Officer Michael Suniga and Officer Anna Perrow.
“While under an unresolved threat to their personal safety, in the fact that dangerous fentanyl particles could have still been in the air they were breathing, each officer exhibited great courage,” Hunt said.
Martinez, Suniga, and Perrow were assisting Deputy Trent Willingham at a traffic stop and subsequent arrest for drug possession around 4:10 a.m. on Aug. 20. After conducting a field test for the suspected narcotics, Willingham began to exhibit signs of exposure to fentanyl.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), symptoms of fentanyl exposure include slow breathing or no breathing, drowsiness, unresponsiveness, and constricted or pinpoint pupils.
Martinez quickly retrieved one dose of Narcan from his vehicle and one dose from Willingham’s vehicle to administer to Willingham. After his second dose, Willingham began to recover from the exposure and was immediately transferred to the hospital. Narcan, a brand of naloxone, is a medicine that treats a narcotic overdose.
“I’m grateful that we were able to be at the right place at the right time,” Martinez said. “Incidents like this are why we, as a department, continue to work with our deputies and why we do our job to the best of our ability. We help each other when needed and hold each other accountable to obtain the proper training for this ever-evolving profession.”
Officers Suniga and Perrow worked together with Martinez to ensure the scene and suspect were secure, despite potential exposure to fentanyl.
“This deputy exhibited the most courage of us all, and his bravery during such a traumatic experience speaks volumes regarding his character,” Perrow said. “We are truly grateful this unfortunate situation has a positive ending for all the first responders involved.”
Willingham has fully recovered and resumed his duties with the Coryell County Sheriff’s Office.
“It was an awful experience and really drives home the dangers of what law enforcement encounters every day,” Willingham said. “It makes me angry how someone with such dangerous chemicals/drugs like fentanyl on them could be so careless. I’m glad it was myself who was exposed and not an innocent civilian or child.”
First responders are more likely to come in contact with fentanyl when responding to overdose calls and while conducting searches, arrests, and traffic stops, according to a DEA fact sheet. Accidentally inhaling airborne powder is what most likely leads to harmful effects.
Willingham emphasizes the importance for first responders to implement safety protection when handling similar cases, such as wearing protective gloves, using a respirator, and always having someone nearby to monitor when testing any substance.
“If any abnormal feeling is felt or observed, remember when in doubt, Narcan it out,” he said.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid drug that is estimated to be 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroine, per the DEA. It is approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a prescription for severe pain relief under the supervision of a licensed medical professional.
“We are collectively grateful for this recognition given to us by Chief Hunt,” Perrow said. “Our acts are those of what any peace officer during a life-threatening situation would be expected to do. We want to direct our own personal recognition to the Coryell County sheriff deputy who was exposed to fentanyl in this incident.”
