The Florida police officer who suffered a life-threatening overdose during a traffic stop has opened up about her frightening experience.
Officers released a horrifying clip of Courtney Bannick fighting for her life, unable to breathe properly, after pulling a car over to the side of the road.
Watch below as Bannick explains what happened on that scary night on December 13:
Bannick was in Florida interrogating a passenger who had fentanyl rolled up in a dollar bill.
Advert
Despite having gloves on, the officer came into contact with the drug and started to OD.
Police were attempting to slowly wake her up by tapping her face very lightly.
"She's not breathing, Ronnie, hit her again," one officer said.
"She was completely lifeless, she looked deceased in these videos," Courtney Sullivan, a fellow officer, told FOX35 Orlando.
Advert
"So she is very thankful today."
The police officer has now explained her version of events to Fox News anchors Dana Perino and Bill Hemmer.
"When opening the dollar bill, I partially opened it because I could feel something inside of it," Bannick said.
Advert
"I noticed a white powdery substance. I've dealt with fentanyl many times before, so I believe that's what it was. And I wrapped it back up, put it in there. We kind of sealed it away and went from there.
"I don't really remember much of the incident, but I do know that when I found the narcotics, it was wrapped up into a dollar bill, so I think I was trying to explain to them where exactly the drugs that I believed I was exposed to at the time was out, so they were aware, so it didn't happen to them as well."
"When I went to notify dispatch that we were actually going to head to the police department, I started to feel very lightheaded, and I couldn't really talk," Bannick added.
Advert
"I felt like I was choking. After watching the bodycam, now I hear myself, I was choking, but I remember consciously being aware I didn't think I was overdosing.
"That never went through my mind at the time."
Despite the horrifying incident, the police officer says she responds to overdoses 'almost every shift'.
"If it's not every shift, it's every other we deal with that. I would say I see fentanyl overdoses or in many people's possession almost weekly here," she concludes.
Advert
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say: "Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. It is a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the US."
Anish Vij