Kentucky police warns of fentanyl-laced pills after 17-year-old dies; 3 arrests made
Officials said the death is connected to their current investigation
By Alex Suckow
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ELIZABETHTOWN, Kentucky (WLKY) — Elizabethtown police are issuing a warning to the public about a “bad batch” of prescription drugs, laced with fentanyl, after a teen died.
Police said on Wednesday that they are currently investigating a batch of clandestine Percocet 30 tablets that likely contain the powerful opioid.
This comes just after a 17-year-old in the community died of an overdose.
Police said they responded to the OD around 7 a.m. They later arrested another teen boy and two men.
Officials said the death is connected to their current investigation, and they’re worried there are still more tainted pills out there.
“We are certain that additional tablets remain within our community,” Chris Denham, Elizabethtown police public affairs officer, said in a post.
The differences between a legit and tampered-with pill are subtle, Denham said, and spotting the laced ones is tricky.
Denham said they are encouraging people to surrender their tablets to a trusted adult or police — without the fear of punishment.
“Lives are far more important than an arrest,” Denham said at a news conference.
But he said you have to surrender them to be free of consequence.
“If we catch you and we find them on your person days later, you don’t have that same exemption. If you walk into the police department, say you’d like to surrender these tablets, I can tell you that you will not be held criminally responsible for that,” he said.
As for the the arrests in this morning’s death, the juvenile suspect is charged with manslaughter first degree, trafficking in a controlled substance and trafficking in marijuana.
Damian Felker, 18, and Brandon Durbin, 36, both of Elizabethtown, are charged with trafficking in a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, as well as a marijuana charge.
Both adults are lodged in the Hardin County Detention Center. The juvenile suspect will be going to a juvenile detention facility.
Denham is encouraging anyone struggling with substance abuse to reach out to them or help.org.
Anyone with information about these pills should call Crimestoppers at 1-800-597-8123.
Denham said information that’s useful in their investigation, depending on circumstances, could yield a reward of up to $1,000.
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