Detainees, officers honored for saving lives in Oklahoma County Jail
As Fentanyl continues to be a problem in the State of Oklahoma, Oklahoma County Jail officials confirm there have been five possible drug overdoses
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KFOR) - As Fentanyl continues to be a problem in the State of Oklahoma, Oklahoma County Jail officials confirm there have been five possible drug overdoses.
In each case, officials confirmed it was the detainees who noticed others in distress, suffering possible overdoses and called jail staff for help. 13 doses Narcan was administered in total by staff.
The detainees along with responding detention officers were recently honored for their life-saving efforts.
Numerous detention officers were recognized for their life-saving efforts:
- Captain Jamie McGuckin
- Lieutenant Ziakiya Byers
- Lieutenant Barrett Washington
- Corporal Tyler Reich
- Corporal Susana Rodriquez
- Clerk Lori Nix
- Staff Sergeant Emily Coumanis
- Sergeant Angela Martinez
- Sergeant Billie Deprietta
- Corporal Martina Delaware
- Corporal Courtney Willis
- Sergeant Michael Alleman
Damien Dean and Steven Harvard are two detainees who were also recognized for alerting staff. The Jail says they have notified the courts of their selfless actions.
“We cannot stress enough how the drug crisis in the community is making its way into the detention center. Every incoming detainee is thoroughly searched, and body scanned. However, the amount of fentanyl it takes to kill someone is so small, it is very hard to detect every time. It only takes two milligrams of fentanyl - the equivalent of a few grains of salt - to kill someone,” said Brandi Garner, Oklahoma County Detention Center CEO. “We will not solve this crisis from the inside out. If people are risking their lives for drugs on the outside, they will continue to look for ways to bring it in the facility. We must stay vigilant and continue to be extremely proficient in our efforts to eradicate contraband from the facility.”