HUMBOLDT — A Humboldt police officer was hospitalized after inadvertently inhaling what later was determined to be fentanyl Saturday.
Humboldt Police Chief Shannon Moore said the officer, whose name was not released, was assisting with a search warrant at 1107 Central St. in Humboldt.
Officers were nearly finished clearing the scene, to the point when he had removed protective equipment he had been wearing, including a mask.
“He found a container, and without thinking about it, he opened it and inadvertently breathed in whatever dust had kicked up,” Moore said.
Within minutes, the officer began to feel ill, Moore said, as his heartbeat began to accelerate, he started sweating and his vision became blurred.
He was treated with naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, which counteracts the effects of opioids such as fentanyl.
A field test at the scene confirmed the substance was fentanyl, Moore said.
The officer was taken to the hospital for observation, but is feeling better.
A man living at the residence, Christopher Koch, was arrested and charged with one count of possessing a controlled substance and one count of possessing drug paraphernalia.
Additional charges are pending.
