photo by: Chris Conde/Journal-World

Lawrence Police Chief Rich Lockhart speaks about the dangers of fentanyl Tuesday, June 6, 2023, during a news conference at Lawrence Police Department Headquarters.

Updated at 5:55 p.m. Tuesday, June 6

The Lawrence Police Department responded to three suspected fentanyl overdoses Monday night, one of them fatal, prompting the department to hold a news conference Tuesday afternoon to raise awareness about the deadliness of the drug.

The first overdose call came in about 9:30 p.m. Monday in the 900 block of Connecticut Street, and the 39-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene despite life-saving measures, LPD said.

The second happened just after 10 p.m. in the 400 block of Illinois Street. The 19-year-old victim was taken to the hospital in critical condition, LPD said.

The third call came in about 3:45 a.m. Callers from the homeless support site at 100 Maple St. in North Lawrence told dispatch that a 39-year-old woman received seven doses of Narcan, an overdose reversal drug, before officers arrived and found her breathing and with a pulse. She was also taken to the hospital, LPD said.

In each call, police found evidence to believe fentanyl was the cause.

Tuesday afternoon Lawrence Police Chief Rich Lockhart held a news conference to emphasize that residents should be vigilant whether they are taking illegal drugs or not.

“We’re warning people to be careful about using drugs. It (fentanyl) doesn’t care how old you are. It doesn’t care what your economic status is. It doesn’t care what race or gender you are. It only knows that it’s deadly, and a tiny amount of fentanyl is enough to kill,” Lockhart said.

Lockhart attributed a dip in fentanyl deaths from 2021 to 2022 to the availability of Narcan, an overdose reversal drug, to the public.

“Every home should have Narcan, and it’s widely available here in Lawrence,” Lockhart said. “It’s kind of a sign of our times to get Narcan in your home so that you always have that available.”

Lawrence police have been warning about the dangers of fentanyl for years now and have recently partnered with the Lawrence school district and other agencies to raise awareness about the synthetic opioid, which can be lethal in very small amounts. Fentanyl is often mixed in with or substituted for other drugs such as Xanax or OxyContin, and users may not even be aware that they are consuming it.

According to statistics shared during a recent Lawrence forum hosted by the agencies, there were 94 suspected overdoses in Lawrence and 13 deaths in 2022, down from 25 overdose deaths in 2021, 16 of which involved fentanyl.

Lockhart said he hoped that the Kansas Legislature’s recent efforts to decriminalize fentanyl testing strips would lead to even fewer overdoses and deaths as the strips become more available.

He stressed also that anyone needing drugs for legitimate reasons should get those drugs only from a licensed pharmacy.

“Talk to your kids about it and make sure that they are aware that pills can’t be trusted unless you get them from a pharmacy. Even if you think it’s an Adderall, even if you think it’s an OxyContin — they could have a deadly dose of fentanyl in it,” Lockhart said.

Of the overdoses reported Monday night, police believe the 19-year-old woman, who is on life-support, was found with pills containing fentanyl, while the 39-year-old woman at the city support site is believed to have injected the drug. Lockhart said he did not have information about how the 39-year-old man who died ingested the drug.

Lockhart said that he did not have current numbers to report for deaths and overdoses in 2023 but that the department was working on a way to better report incidents as they happen. He said sometimes police are not immediately informed about drug-related deaths and that some statistics would have to come from Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical. He said once a medical examiner tells the police that an overdose is suspected, the police begin an investigation.

Police have worked to bring some drug dealers to justice in Lawrence, but Lockhart said that it is difficult to prove that someone died as a result of a drug that someone sold to them. He said the department is still working on the case of a man in his 20s who died from an overdose in 2022 after getting a pill at work in Lawrence.

“We’re waiting to get into his phone to find out who sold him the drugs so that we can go after them and make sure that they’re prosecuted for his death,” Lockhart said.

If you suspect that someone is overdosing, Lockhart asks that you call 911 immediately.

“If you’re with somebody who’s using drugs, and you think they’ve overdosed, make sure that you call medical services for them. You’re not going to be punished or prosecuted because you were there while they were using drugs, so long as you weren’t the one who sold them the drugs,” Lockhart said.