Bodycam footage released by police in Florida captures the chilling moment when one of their officers appeared to ‘overdose’ on fentanyl during a routine traffic stop.
Typically, police release bodycam footage to highlight the actions of criminals; however, this time, the focus was on Officer Courtney Bannick of the Tavares Police Department.
In December 2022, Bannick was part of a team conducting a routine traffic stop when she encountered a driver with fentanyl rolled up in a dollar bill.
While interrogating the passenger and handling the drug, Bannick wore gloves, but they apparently failed to protect her from the dangerous substance.
Suddenly, Bannick lost consciousness and collapsed in the middle of the road, putting her life at risk.
Officers tried to gently wake her by tapping her face.
“She’s not breathing, Ronnie, hit her again,” one officer said.
Fortunately, Bannick did regain consciousness from the apparent overdose.
In an interview with FOX35 Orlando following the incident, fellow officer Courtney Sullivan stated: “She was completely lifeless, she looked deceased in these videos. 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.”
Bannick spoke about the perils of handling drugs afterward, noting: “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.”
At the time, the people in the vehicle were facing potential felony charges.
In 2023, experts interviewed by NPR revealed that police officers are experiencing severe medical symptoms from touching or inhaling powdered fentanyl ‘every few weeks’.
However, despite Bannick’s experience, these experts argued that officers were not actually suffering from fentanyl or opioid overdoses.
“This has never happened,” stated Dr. Ryan Marino, a toxicologist and emergency room physician who researches addiction at Case Western Reserve University. “There has never been an overdose through skin contact or accidentally inhaling fentanyl.”
“Fentanyl does not pass through the skin efficiently or well,” Marino added. “The dry powder form that’s encountered in street drugs is not going to pass through the skin in any meaningful way.”
“There’s never been a toxicologically confirmed case,” noted Brandon Del Pozo, a former police chief who studies addiction and drug policy at Brown University. “The idea of it hanging in the air and getting breathed in is highly highly implausible – it’s nearly impossible.”