MARLIN, Texas — A Marlin police officer was cleared to work following an accidental exposure to narcotics that sent him to the hospital on Aug. 24, the Marlin Police Department reported.
According the Marlin PD, the officer was patrolling the 400 block of Gift Street around 3:30 a.m. when he noticed a suspicious vehicle with the trunk open and two occupants apparently unconscious inside. The officer, who was not identified, approached the vehicle, which was emitting the odor of marijuana, police said. The officer then began a probable cause search.
According to police, the Marlin officer put on gloves and began a search when he began sweating "and accidentally rubbed his forehead and unknowingly rubbed an unknown substance onto his skin." Minutes later, he reportedly began experiencing shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat and dilated pupils, the department said.
Two other Marlin officers assisting at the scene noticed that the officer collapsed and needed medical attention, police said.
One of the officers then asked for help over the radio and said he needed Narcan for the officer, per police. A Falls County deputy arrived on scene to help. One of the Marlin officers recognized the officer was showing symptoms of narcotic exposure and administered Narcan after which the deputy took the officer to he hospital for treatment, police said.
The affected officer was treated, released and taken home by another Marlin officer.
While the officer was taken to the hospital, the other two remained on scene and completed the investigation, identified both subjects in the vehicle and collected drug paraphernalia and other narcotics from inside the suspect vehicle, according to police.
"Due to the circumstances Marlin officers used discretion and let the occupants depart and immediately responded to the hospital to be by their fellow officers side," MPD said on its Facebook page.
The case will be investigated by the department's investigations detective. and the narcotics found were sent to a lab for analysis, officials said.