Media Advisory
22-199-0499
On July 18th, 2022, at approximately 12:40 PM, Chief of Police Anthony Mata and Assistant Chief of Police Paul Joseph were flagged down in the 500 block of Coleman Avenue by a female reporting that her boyfriend had ingested drugs and was unresponsive.
Additional Officers and paramedics responded to the scene and located an adult male suffering from an apparent overdose after ingesting a white powdery substance suspected of being fentanyl.
Arriving Officers administered two doses of Narcan (Naloxone) and successfully counteracted the effects of the drug until San José Fire Department paramedics arrived and continued to render aid. The adult male victim was transported to a local hospital where he was stabilized.
Fentanyl is a powerful opioid, like heroin or morphine, but 50 - 100 times stronger. It is a prescription pain killer used to treat severe pain, especially after surgery. In 2020, there were over 93,000 drug overdose deaths in the US, most of which were from fentanyl or other synthetic opioids. Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of injury-related deaths - almost twice as many people die from drug overdoses than are killed in car accidents.
Many drug dealers mix the much cheaper fentanyl into other drugs like heroin, cocaine, MDMA (ecstasy/molly), and methamphetamine to increase their profits. Fentanyl has even been detected in cannabis in some parts of the U.S. For more information fentanyl and how to prevent fentanyl overdose visit the County of Santa Clara's Behavioral Health Services webpage.
Submit crime tips and remain anonymous by using the P3TIPS mobile app, calling the tip line at (408) 947-STOP, or on www.svcrimestoppers.org. If the information you submit leads to an arrest, you are eligible for a cash reward from the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers Program.
By: Officer Steve Aponte #4390
Authorized by: Assistant Chief Joseph #3148