Florida cop nearly dies from ‘fentanyl exposure’ after Officer pulled over drug-using driver

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Moment Florida policewoman nearly dies from ‘fentanyl exposure’ after traffic stop: Colleague administers Narcan after victim makes desperate plea for help over radio

  • Florida Police Officer Courtney Bannick was exposed to fentanyl she found on passengers during a traffic stop early Tuesday morning.
  • After taking the passengers to the jail, Bannick’s colleagues heard her gasping over their radio and rushed to her aid.
  • As Bannick drifted in and out of consciousness, the officers administered Narcan while waiting for help to arrive.
  • Bannick was taken to a hospital and is expected to make a full recovery, and police said the people who had the narcotics are likely to be charged with felonies.

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A Florida police officer nearly died when she was left asphyxiated and unable to breathe after being “exposed to fentanyl” during a traffic stop Tuesday.

Officer Courtney Bannick stopped a car in the early hours of the morning and discovered a passenger with narcotics wrapped in a dollar bill.

After Bannick took the female passenger to jail, her colleagues began to hear her gasping for breath through their radios and rushed to her aid. It’s unclear exactly when or how she was exposed to the drug during the stop.

Officers found her drifting in and out of consciousness and nearly lifeless, and administered Narcan at the scene to save her, possibly saving her life. Police said the people who had the narcotics will likely be prosecuted with felony charges after their investigation concludes.

Officer Courtney Bannick nearly died after being exposed to fentanyl during a traffic stop in Florida on Tuesday.

Officer Courtney Bannick nearly died after being exposed to fentanyl during a traffic stop in Florida on Tuesday.

Bannick lies on the ground as he struggles to breathe after being exposed to fentanyl.

Bannick lies on the ground as he struggles to breathe after being exposed to fentanyl.

Bannick lies on the ground as he struggles to breathe after being exposed to fentanyl.

Terrifying footage showed Bannick on the side of a dark road as officers led her wide-eyed and breathless from her car to the curb.

There she fell on her back as officers tried to calm her down and administered Narcan up her nose, causing her to roll over and vomit in the street.

Later, as they waited for an ambulance to arrive, Bannick could be seen leaning on another officer’s legs and gasping for air, when his face suddenly went blank and he stopped moving.

The officers began yelling at her to breathe as they gently slapped her face to wake her up and were forced to administer more doses of Narcan before she finally came back to life.

A police officer guides a distressed Bannick from her car to the sidewalk where she was served.

A police officer guides a distressed Bannick from her car to the sidewalk where she was served.

A police officer guides a distressed Bannick from her car to the sidewalk where she was served.

The officers administer a dose of Narcan into Bannick's nose as she lies on the ground.

The officers administer a dose of Narcan into Bannick's nose as she lies on the ground.

The officers administer a dose of Narcan into Bannick’s nose as she lies on the ground.

The officers remove Bannick's uniform vest from her torso to help her breathe easier.

The officers remove Bannick's uniform vest from her torso to help her breathe easier.

The officers remove Bannick’s uniform vest from her torso to help her breathe easier.

Bannick was taken to a nearby hospital and is expected to recover.

‘He was completely lifeless. She appears dead in these videos,’ said Tavares Police Detective Courtney Sullivan. fox 35‘so she’s very grateful today.’

The department said she had been wearing gloves and following all protocols correctly when handling the narcotics, but noted how easy it is still for accidents to happen.

‘I’ve done this a hundred times before in the same way. It only takes one time and a minimal amount,” Bannick said after the incident. “I’m thankful I’m not alone and I had immediate help.”

The department said the names of the people who were in possession of the narcotics will not be released until they are charged.

The officers open the Narcan doses which they then administer to Bannick through his nose.

The officers open the Narcan doses which they then administer to Bannick through his nose.

The officers open the Narcan doses which they then administer to Bannick through his nose.

Officers hold Bannick down as he struggles to breathe on the side of the road after exposure to fentanyl.

Officers hold Bannick down as he struggles to breathe on the side of the road after exposure to fentanyl.

Officers hold Bannick down as he struggles to breathe on the side of the road after exposure to fentanyl.

Fentanyl has been increasingly used to cut heavy drugs like cocaine and heroin.

The drug binds to receptors in the brain, causing a feeling of numbness, euphoria, and sedation.

Over time, the sensitivity of the receptors decreases, eventually leading to opioids being the only way a person can achieve those feelings. This leads to addiction.

When a person takes an overdose, their breathing can stop, starving the brain and other parts of the body of oxygen. As a result, a person will suffer a serious brain injury.

This can often be deadly. Even survivors will often have permanent brain damage.

Naxolone, sold under the brand name Narcan, is the most effective tool doctors and first responders have against an overdose.

The fast-acting nasal spray quickly kills the opioid receptors in a person’s brain and nullifies the effects of the drug.

It can only be used in the time immediately following an overdose.

What is fentanyl and why is it so dangerous?

Fentanyl was originally developed in Belgium in the 1950s to help cancer patients manage pain.

Given its extreme potency, it has become popular with recreational drug users.

Overdose deaths linked to synthetic opioids like fentanyl rose from nearly 10,000 in 2015 to nearly 20,000 in 2016, surpassing common opioid painkillers and heroin for the first time.

And drug overdoses killed more than 72,000 people in the US in 2017, a record propelled by fentanyl.

It is often added to heroin because it creates the same high as the drug, with biologically identical effects. But it can be up to 50 times more potent than heroin, according to US officials.

In the US, fentanyl is classified as a schedule II drug, indicating that it has some medical use, but it has a high potential for abuse and can create psychological and physical dependence.