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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Spokane Valley Sheriff’s Deputy uses Narcan to save man who overdosed

A Spokane Valley Sheriff’s deputy used Naloxone, also known as Narcan, to save an unconscious man who overdosed on heroin.

On Saturday, Deputy Troy Knutson responded to a medical call just after 7 p.m. on the 12800 block of East Sprague Ave. The caller reported a man in his early 20s wasn’t breathing and had turned “blue,” according to the Sheriff’s Office.

When Knutson arrived, she saw a group of people gathered around an unconscious man lying on his back between two parked cars. Knutson asked if anyone knew if the man had recently used drugs. Someone said he had just used heroin.

Knutson administered a dose of Naloxone but didn’t see improvement so he administered a second dose. Spokane Valley Fire personnel arrived shortly after.

A few minutes later the man regained consciousness and was taken to a local hospital.

The “good Samaritan” law , passed in Washington in 2010, allows people to call law enforcement and first responders for drug overdoses without fear of prosecution.

Deputies have been carrying Naloxone since 2017. In 2016, the drug became available in Washington and Idaho without a prescription.