BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) — Perhaps the most alarming thing when an assistant prosecutor with the Second Judicial District told his boss three people in Kingsport had died of drug overdoses in one night was this: District Attorney Barry Staubus wasn’t even that alarmed. The longtime prosecutor’s lack of surprise is down to one thing: fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that’s 100 …
Detroit man charged in overdose deaths investigation in Tennessee
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (CBS DETROIT) – Knoxville police arrested a Detroit man in connection with the overdose deaths of three people. Police arrest Donjae Bell, 29, after authorities conducted a search warrant at 1900 Dutch Valley Drive No. 23 in Knoxville as part of an investigation. Authorities located both powder and pills suspected of being heroin or fentanyl, items for manufacturing, packaging, …
Bags of fentanyl-laced crystal meth seized in Nashville
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Narcotics detectives with the Metro Nashville Police Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation made a pair of arrests this weekend during an exchange of dangerous drugs in Nashville. According to police, 54-year-old Raymondo Contrenas from Cailfornia and 46-year-old Zujey Serna-Mendoza were arrested with a large box containing vacuum-sealed bags of crystal methamphetamine that tested positive …
‘Astronomical rate’: More people have died from a fatal overdose than COVID-19 in Nashville
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – The opioid crisis is no stranger to Nashville, but now, new data from the Metro Health Department reveals how severe the deadly trend is. It’s a reality that hits close to home for millions. In Nashville, community members, law enforcement, and city leaders are not only taking notice but also looking at taking action. “The deaths …
Fentanyl test strips could make a difference in the fight against overdose deaths
A pilot program in Tennessee showed 81% of people who used the test strips changed their behavior. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — East Tennessee will soon have another tool to combat the overdose crisis. Metro Drug Coalition said it’s expecting to receive its first shipment of fentanyl test strips in the next month or two. “We’ve got to help them however we can,” said …
Mom of Northeast Tennessee overdose victim: ‘He’s gone because somebody decided to make more money’
MT. CARMEL, Tenn. (WJHL) — Josh Russell was hoping he could get free of drug addiction for good when he went home from a stint in jail late last year. He got a job, hung out with his parents and sister and was working hard to try and lose weight. But on Feb. 7, Marsha Way and her husband found …
Tennessee firefighters exposed to fentanyl; Corinth paramedics provided emergency aid
JACKSON, Tenn. (WTVA) – For two Tennessee firefighters, paramedics from Corinth were in the right place at the right time on Sept. 2. They saved the lives of two Jackson firefighters who needed emergency help after being exposed to fentanyl. WTVA reporter Bronson Woodruff spoke with the paramedics and other officials about the scary situation. Watch the full story on …
3 Men Indicted For Allegedly Shipping Kilos Of Fentanyl-Oxy Pills To The South
SANTA ROSA (BCN) Three Santa Rosa men were arrested Wednesday and charged with conspiring to ship fentanyl-laced Oxycodone to cities in Tennessee, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Nashville announced. Matthew Cox, 26, Marcus Johnson, 24, and Ricardo Molinero-Alcarez, 27, were arraigned in federal court in the Northern District of California for conspiring to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute …
Fugitive found asleep in truck with ‘enough fentanyl to kill entire populations’, Flagler police say
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said when they found the man, he had enough fentanyl to “kill the entire population of Flagler and Putnam counties.” James Wilson Duke of Kennesaw, Georgia, was arrested just after 4 a.m. on Sunday at a Mobil gas station in Palm Coast. A deputy found Duke asleep in his car when he responded to an …
Tennessee AG urges Biden to classify fentanyl as ‘weapon of mass destruction’
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – New Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has joined a multi-state effort to urge President Joe Biden to classify fentanyl as a “weapon of mass destruction.” Skrmetti has joined a group of 18 state attorneys general to demand Biden take “decisive action” in response to a record spike in fentanyl-related overdose deaths, a media release said. “Fentanyl …