AUSTIN (KXAN) — Police said Tuesday they’re launching an investigation into who provided drugs that resulted in 51 suspected overdoses and possibly eight deaths throughout Austin.
During a news conference Tuesday afternoon, detectives told reporters they detained at least two people, calling them persons of interest in this deadly overdose investigation. One of those people is now facing a charge of felony in possession of a firearm, police said. However, more charges and arrests could be forthcoming.
“It is apparent there is a deadly batch of illicit narcotics in our community,” Asst. Chief Eric Fitzgerald said, adding police will find the people responsible and hold them accountable.
Travis County Judge Andy Brown called what unfolded in the last 27 hours as the “largest opioid overdose outbreak we’ve seen in years.” The earliest response to this surge began at about 9 a.m. Monday, and Austin-Travis County EMS paramedics said it was initially concentrated in the downtown area. However, other calls followed through Tuesday morning in different parts of the city.
The last surge of overdoses of this magnitude occurred in 2015 when K2, a synthetic drug, circulated in Austin.
Paramedics said they responded to 51 overdoses since Monday morning. Officials suspect eight people died of a drug overdose during this surge, but said many more suffered from cardiac arrests from Monday morning to Tuesday afternoon.
Several local leaders commended paramedics, police officers, firefighters and civilians for helping to administer opioid overdose reversal drugs, like Narcan, throughout this period. They said this effort helped to save many lives. They also extended condolences to the family members and friends who lost loved ones.
“You should never use an unknown substance. But if you choose to, we encourage you to start slow, start low and never use alone. You should always have a sober friend who has Narcan available so that they can administer and call 911,” said ATCEMS Assistant Chief Steve White.
Initial information shared Monday
Officials said they are continuing to respond to a 1000% increase in overdose calls after they reported more than 30 “suspected overdoses” and four deaths on Monday, City of Austin Chief Medical Director Heidi Abraham said during a media briefing.
Around 9 a.m., the city experienced a sudden surge in opioid-related calls. A rapid response team made up of ATCEMS, the Homeless Strategy Office and Urban Alchemy were immediately deployed to the area, according to officials.
“The trend that we’re seeing in this group of overdoses is that it is unusually deadly,” Abraham said. “There have been four deaths, so far, that we suspect are related to these overdoses. We have not experienced overdoses of this volume in several years.”
Those calls continue progressing into Monday evening, she said.
An opioid overdose is described as a “life-threatening condition that can be reversed if patients are treated immediately with Narcan and emergency medical cares,” the city said in a news release Monday.
“When we see outbreaks like this, the suspicion is, essentially, there’s a new ‘batch’ in town,” City EMS Captain Christa Stedman said during the briefing. “It’s fairly likely that it’s from the same couple of sources because of the similar signatures that we’re seeing in the symptoms.”
Although it wasn’t immediately clear what drug people used on Monday, patients reported a number of different types of drugs they thought they were using, Abraham said.
“We have seen several location clusters,” Stedman said, “but it is affecting the entire city.”
This is happening at businesses, residences and any other areas accessible to the general public, she said.
Medics said the community should look for signs and symptoms of someone who could appear to be overdosing.
Symptoms of overdosing provided by the city are below:
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Shallow or slow breathing
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Confusion or loss of consciousness
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Change in skin color (pale, blue, or purple)
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Very small pupils
“You should never use an unknown substance. But if you choose to, we encourage people to start low, go slow and never use alone. You should always use with a friend nearby who has Narcan and is able to call 911,” Abraham said.
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