Oakdale Man Charged With Negligent Homicide After Neighbor Overdoses: Police

Photo: Michael Bedard, 55, of 8 Illinois Court (Provided by Troop E, Montville)

Montville Police are investigating the death of a 55-year-old Oakdale man after the man’s son approached police with concerns that his father’s death was suspicious.

On Feb. 9, 2016, the father visited his neighbor’s house at 8 Illinois Court in Oakdale, where they reportedly engaged in drug use, police said.

The Oakdale man, referred to as the victim in an arrest affidavit from Police Officer Addison Saffioti, appeared to have trouble breathing for about an hour. Neighbor Michael Bedard, 55, called 911 after an hour had passed, police said. A copy of the 911 call was obtained.

“The caller said, ‘I have a guy who is not very responsive at my house right now. I think maybe he is on something, I don’t know if he’s on pain medication or something, but he’s not responding. He’s breathing and everything but I can’t wake him up out of it, ya know’?”

The 911 operator asked the caller, “what is your name?” He said his name was Mike Bedard. The operator asked if Bedard knew what the victim had taken and he said, “I don’t know, probably some kind of narcotic.”

The victim was unresponsive and rushed to Backus Hospital, where Narcan was administered, but to no avail. He was then transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital, where he passed away on February 12.

An Arrest Made

Officer Saffioti said based on the investigation and the information in the affidavit detailed below, he believes probable cause exists. An arrest warrant was applied for at the Norwich Superior Courthouse and served at approximately 4:42 p.m. April 28.

The Montville Police Department located Bedard at his residence and charged him with the following:

• Cruelty to persons
• Criminally negligent homicide

Bedard was issued a May 12 court date.

First Responder Report

Officer Saffioti obtained a written statement from a paid firefighter with the town of Montville, who said he was dispatched to 8 Illinois Court at 8:32 p.m. Feb. 9, for a reported overdose. He said he arrived at the address and was met by a man at the front door, who told him his friend needed Narcan.

The firefighter asked the man why and the man said he believed his friend had an overdose, according to the affidavit. The firefighter asked what the friend overdosed on and the friend said he did not know. The firefighter asked why he thought his friend overdosed and he stated “because of his history.”

The firefighter said he asked about the history and the man reportedly became angry and led him to the basement. The firefighter said the victim was upright on the couch, unconscious and unresponsive.

“Witness 1 [the firefighter] stated that the patient had snoring respirations which were slow, approximately 6-8 per minute, was pale, cold to the touch and sweating,” Officer Saffioti stated in the affidavit. “Witness 1 stated that he attempted to wake the patient with a firm sternum rub with no effect.”

The firefighter asked how long the patient had been in that condition and the man said it was about an hour. When asked why it had taken so long to call 911, the man reportedly said he thought the patient was sleeping.

The firefighter told the friend he needed to know exactly what the patient had taken so he could help him. The friend reportedly became angry and said, “I’m not an [expletive] doctor, I don’t know!”

Son Alleges Negligence by Neighbor

On Feb. 17, Officer Saffioti met with the son in the Montville Police Department interview room and spoke with him regarding his father’s death, that the son thought was suspicious in nature.

He said he was informed by hospital staff that his father was left unconscious for approximately an hour before medical response arrived to Illinois Court and that his father had been deprived of oxygen and had severe brain damage.

The son added that a nurse told him his father had tested positive for opiates and that they had used Narcan to try and reverse the effects but to no avail.

The son told police he believes the neighbor acted negligently and he would like to pursue criminal charges.

Cell Phone Texts Reveal Exchange Between Victim and Neighbor: Police

The son told police that he found his father’s cell phone after the incident and found text messages from a man named Mike, inviting his father over the house.

On Feb. 17, the son provided police with a white Samsung phone cell phone belonging to his father. The texts were dated Feb. 9 and time-stamped 3:45 p.m. According to the arrest warrant, the texts said:

“U want to do a couple lines come on down”

“Got 7something [sic] for u come over”

“K”

Police Continue Investigation; Interview Suspect

On Feb. 26, police went to the Bedard’s home. They said he was home and allowed the officer to come into the house, but said he had already told the responding officers what had happened and did not wish to tell it again.

The officer asked about the text messages that Bedard reportedly sent the victim the night of the incident.

“Michael stated that the victim and he used to snort Adderall together and that was what the text message meant,” police stated in the affidavit.

Bedard then asked the officer to leave, police said.

Medical Records of the Victim

The medical records obtained by police indicated the victim had cannabis and opiates in his system. The notes from the Backus emergency department visit stated a 55-year-old man with a history of stroke came into the hospital after occupants at the house said he was unresponsive for about an hour when EMS was contacted.

“When EMS arrived, the patient was hypoxic and not responsive,” the ER note said. “He was slumped forward and not adequately breathing.”

Medical records from Yale-New Haven Hospital were also obtained by police. The records stated that the victim had been intubated for airway protection and respiratory failure thought to be due to an opiate overdose with subsequent hypoxic brain injury. Hypoxic injuries occur when someone is deprived of oxygen.

A head scan performed upon arrival to Yale indicated the victim had diffuse hypoxic brain injury, which occurs when the brain is not receiving or cannot adequately process enough oxygen. The victim was pronounced deceased at 6:35 p.m. Feb. 12.

Police reportedly tried to contact other people thought to be in the house at the time of the incident but said they were not home and calls were not returned.