Officers jumped into action when a drugged-up man fell unconscious in a courtroom

Police in northern Illinois have been credited with saving a man’s life on Wednesday after he slumped over in the seating area of a courtroom. Officers Karrie Lee, Melissa Dunn and Timothy Specht of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office noticed the 24-year-old man’s unresponsive demeanor, according to a Lake County press release.

The officers were all corrections officers who were at the courthouse to transport criminals to the jail. The man was not in custody or an inmate. When the authorities approached him, they realized that he was “unconscious and barely breathing” and they determined that he was “suffering an opioid overdose.”

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Immediately, they administered two doses of Naloxone, which is a drug designed to block the effects of opioids. The release states that “[he regained] normal breathing and eventually regained consciousness.” He was then taken to a nearby hospital where he admitted to taking Xanax and heroin.

Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran offered the following statement.

I am very proud of Corrections Sergeant Timothy Specht, Corrections Officer Karrie Lee, and Corrections Officer Melissa Dunn for their quick actions which resulted in a life being saved, as well as our Court Security Officers who recognized the man was in distress. Someone overdosing in a courtroom highlights the opioid epidemic we face. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office continues to work with community stakeholders, battling the prevalent opioid problem through education and enforcement.