Fentanyl overdose sends 4 inmates to hospital, decontamination at Adams County Detention Facility
Four female inmates at the Adams County Detention Facility were rushed to the hospital on Tuesday afternoon for a fentanyl overdose. Three inmates were found unconscious and not breathing when deputies arrived in the housing unit at 3:38 p.m.
Deputies and medical staff administered Narcan, CPR and other life-saving measures as Brighton Fire paramedics were called to assist. The other inmates in the housing unit were isolated in their cells to prevent any further exposure.
A fourth inmate was found unconscious and unresponsive during row checks. She was also given Narcan, CPR and other life-saving measures. All four inmates were rushed to the hospital as decontamination efforts were conducted.
Suspected fentanyl powder was located and booked as evidence. Once the medical incident was over, the remaining inmates were searched, decontaminated and moved to other housing areas. All inmates were monitored by medical staff throughout the night.
The housing unit was searched and professionally decontaminated with the Drug Enforcement Agency's assistance. The Adams County Sheriff's Office and the North Metro Drug Task Force will conduct the investigation along with deputies inside the detention facility.
Three out of the four inmates initially taken to the hospital remained hospitalized Wednesday afternoon. The fourth has been released and has been returned to the detention facility.
Statement from Adams County: Although we are prepared for these incidents, this reminds us of the growing dangers of opioid exposure within our detention facility. The Adams County Sheriff's Office takes the introduction of narcotics into our detention facility very seriously. We are constantly evaluating policies, procedures, and training to improve protocols for the safety of our staff and the inmates we serve. Our detention staff facility has previously trained on mass exposure and casualty incidents, and this is the first documented incident involving multiple inmates from the same exposure. Once the situation was deemed safe, the incident was debriefed to all involved and later to all staff. Off-duty personnel came in early, on-duty personnel stayed late, and others took extra duties to assist with the incident and all the necessary follow-ups.
