A Tavares, Florida police officer has her coworkers to thank for taking decisive, lifesaving action when she overdosed just days before Christmas.
The officer was exposed to a “potent narcotic” and exhibited signs of an overdose, Tavares Police Department stated in a press release.
Visceral body camera footage that is hard to watch shows the incident occurring along a roadside during a traffic stop. Viewer discretion is advised.
On December 13, around midnight, Officer Bannick conducted a traffic stop and found various narcotics and paraphernalia, inside the vehicle and on the vehicle’s occupants.
She followed the proper protocols: protecting herself against exposure by wearing gloves and utilizing personal protective equipment, the police department stated. Yet narcotic exposure was facilitated by high winds.
Before the occupants were transported to Lake County Jail, officer Bannick keyed up on her radio, and Corporal O'Shea, with the department, recognized that her voice sounded different. She was breathless and choking.
When Corporal O’Shea went to Officer Bannick’s vehicle to check on her, he found her slipping in and out of consciousness. It was clear she needed immediate medical assistance, so he and two other officers, Sergeant Mahaney and Lieutenant Brown, took action.
Dramatic body camera footage at the scene shows Bannick lying on the sidewalk with the officers retrieving NARCAN from a police cruiser, administering the drug, and rendering first aid.
They gave Officer Bannick three doses of NARCAN as she phased in and out of consciousness, becoming “unresponsive and lifeless” multiple times as they awaited EMS.
NARCAN is an overdose reversal drug that law enforcement agents keep on hand and apply in case of coming in contact with powerful narcotics like fentanyl.
Even minuscule doses—just a few milligrams—of fentanyl can cause a person to overdose and die.
Officer Bannick is now at home and doing well, thankfully, the department stated. She’s expected to make a full recovery and is eager to get back to work, serving her community.
The officer expressed gratitude for her colleagues who aided her in her hour of need.
“Officer Bannick recognizes that without her coworkers nearby, the outcome could have been quite different,” the department stated. “Tavares Police Department commends Corporal O’Shea, Sergeant Mahaney, and Lieutenant Brown for their quick thinking and actions that ultimately saved their fellow officer.”
Meanwhile, the suspects involved in the traffic stop face felony charges.
More than 75,000 Americans died from overdoses of synthetic opioids, mainly fentanyl, in the 12-month period ending February 2022.
“Fentanyl poisonings are at an all-time high,” said Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead, of the National Sheriffs’ Association. “These are not isolated incidents. These are happening in every state and every county in America, leaving behind grieving families. Let us be clear: These poisonings are part of a strategic maneuver by the cartels and it must be stopped.”
