The death of a teenager that resulted from a drug overdose has resulted in three arrests and is prompting area law enforcement to warn of drugs circulating in the community that have been laced with fentanyl.
The Elizabethtown Police Department stated in a press release that officers responded to an Elizabethtown residence just before 7 a.m. Wednesday regarding a death investigation. The EPD says it was determined that the victim, a 17-year-old male, had suffered a fatal drug overdose.
Officers investigating the incident were able to identify an individual suspected of distributing narcotics to the victim, and at around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday the suspect, a juvenile male, was taken into custody. The EPD says the juvenile suspect has been charged with First Degree Manslaughter, First Degree Trafficking in a Controlled Substance, and Trafficking in Marijuana, and will be lodged in a juvenile detention facility.
The EPD says two adults were also arrested Wednesday as part of the investigation. Damian Felker of Elizabethtown faces multiple charges including First Degree Trafficking in a Controlled Substance, and Brandon Durbin of Elizabethtown faces multiple charges including First Degree Possession of a Controlled Substance. They were both lodged in the Hardin County Detention Center.
During a press conference, EPD Public Information Officer Chris Denham said the overdose death is likely related to tablets that were designed to look like a prescription narcotic but are actually laced with fentanyl, and police believe more of these pills are currently on area streets.
“If you are using, abusing illegal drugs, you may think you’re ingesting a Percocet 30 when in reality you may be ingesting a clandestinely-made tablet that contains fentanyl,” Denham said.
Denham said area schools on Wednesday discussed the dangers of these drugs with students in grades six through 12, and officials are encouraging residents to have conversations with loved ones they suspect may be abusing drugs. Denham said in order to get the drugs off the street, those in possession may surrender them to law enforcement without fear of punishment.
“I’m asking you to proactively surrender these tablets so they can be properly disposed of,” Denham said. “Again, our goal is to not criminally charge anyone. If you’re a student at a school, you will not face any type of administrative discipline. We want to get these off of the streets so they do not cause any additional overdoses.”
If you have information on drug activity, you may submit an anonymous tip to Hardin County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-597-8123 or online at P3Tips.com.
