Police release footage after officer overdoses during traffic stop
Anish Vij
Featured Image Credit: Courtney Bannick / Facebook / Tavares Police Dept
Shocking footage has emerged of a police officer lying motionless on the side of a road after being exposed to fentanyl during a traffic stop.
Police have released a clip of Officer Courtney Bannick fighting for her life, unable to breathe properly after pulling a car over on Tuesday (13 December).
Watch below:
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Bannick was interrogating a passenger who had fentanyl rolled up in a dollar bill in Florida.
Although she had gloves on, she came into contact with the drug and started overdosing.
Officers were attempting to slowly wake her up by slapping 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.
"So she is very thankful today.
"If the other officers weren’t there, there’s a very high chance and probability that today would be different and that we would be wearing our thin blue line – the straps that go over our badges."
Thankfully Bannick is now recovering and said: "I have done this 100 times before the same way.
"It only takes one time and a minimal amount. I’m thankful I wasn’t alone and had immediate help."
The individuals involved are facing possible felony charges, with their names yet to be released, police said.
Andrae Bailey, founder of The Opioid Project, said: “If someone interacts with fentanyl, we have to have what it takes to bring them back from the brink of death.
“What worked a few years ago for law enforcement to protect them is probably not adequate today because the drugs continue to get more and more powerful.”
"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 U.S.," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have said.
"There are two types of fentanyl: pharmaceutical fentanyl and illicitly manufactured fentanyl.
"Both are considered synthetic opioids. Pharmaceutical fentanyl is prescribed by doctors to treat severe pain, especially after surgery and for advanced-stage cancer.
"However, most recent cases of fentanyl-related overdose are linked to illicitly manufactured fentanyl, which is distributed through illegal drug markets for its heroin-like effect. It is often added to other drugs because of its extreme potency, which makes drugs cheaper, more powerful, more addictive, and more dangerous."