Berkeley Cops Revive Overdose Victim

BERKELEY, CA — Officers on Monday night revived an unconscious man who was believed to have overdosed on fentanyl, the Berkeley Police Department said.

The 58-year-old man did not respond to a first dose of Narcan but regained consciousness after a second dose was administered, police said.

Officers at around 9:25 p.m. responded to a small encampment at the corner of Shattuck Avenue and Blake Street on a report of an unconscious man.

Officers quickly checked the man’s vitals, moved him to a recovery position and administered a dose of Narcan. When the man’s condition did not change, the officers administered the second dose.

“We are thankful our officers are equipped with this life-saving medication and that we were able to administer it in time to revive the man,” the BPD said in a statement.

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, are now the most common drugs involved in drug overdose deaths in the United States.