Poplar Bluff PD: OH officer accidental overdose is eye-opening reminder

POPLAR BLUFF, MO (KFVS) - In light of an Ohio officer's death, police in Poplar Bluff, Missouri said they are prepared when dealing with serious drugs on traffic stops.

An undercover officer in Ohio accidentally overdosed on what is suspected to be fentanyl and carfentanyl after he helped arrest two men.

You would be surprised how often there are close calls with serious opioid drugs like Fentanyl.

"Its actually becoming more common every day," Captain J.R. Keisrey said.

Keisrey works in the Criminal Investigations Division at Poplar Bluff Police Department.

He said there's always a new drug on the street keeping his officers on their toes.

"Sometimes a new synthetic comes out once a week," he said. "It just depends on whatever is trending amongst the younger crowds nowadays."

So when Keisrey sends his first responders on the streets, he makes sure they are equipped with the right tools.

In each police car, there is an emergency kit with gloves and mouth shields.

The captain said he also meets with his officers regularly when he hears about new opioids like Fentanyl making their way into his community.

"I remind them constantly wear gloves when dealing with it," Keisrey said.

"Just because it doesn't happen here, doesn't mean it can't happen here," Officer Shaun Prenger said.

Poplar Bluff police have responded to more than a dozen overdoses already in 2017.

So when Prenger find drugs in a traffic stop, he said he's careful when handling it.

"We try to be as prepared as we can," he said. "But there's always going to be an element of surprise or some things that we can't control. We can just do the best we can and be as prepared as we can."

A few officers also said they are not surprised by this accidental overdose, but they see this as an eye opening reminder to always be careful.

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