LYON COUNTY, KY — After arresting a woman, three law enforcement officers were exposed to an unknown opioid in Lyon County, and the Lyon County Sheriff's Office is now investigating the case.
For background, last Tuesday around 3 p.m., Lyon County Sheriff's Deputy Josh Travis and Eddyville Chief of Police Jordan Parrish were notified at the FiveStar convenience store in Eddyville for an intoxicated person complaint.
There they made contact with Mary E. Gammon of Evansville, Indiana, who law enforcement says was extremely under the influence and was arrested for DUI.
And once they transported her to the Lyon County Jailer's Office, Chief Parrish began to feel ill. Parrish's symptoms continued to deteriorate to the point a KSP detective called for an ambulance.
When the EMS personnel arrived, one believed three officers, including Parrish, Deputy Travis, and a KSP detective, had been exposed to an unknown opioid-type substance that was causing them symptoms of overdose.
Each officer was administered Narcan and later sought additional medical attention at the local hospital.
Lyon County Sheriff Brent White says this is a cautionary tale for the department and the public. "She was so much under the influence that they knew that she could not drive. She was making some grandeur statements that she was the mother of Jesus and her name was Mary, and so she would say she was Mary, mother of Jesus. And so making those grandeur statements, she was lethargic and just did have some very odd behavior that indicated to them that she was under the influence of something," Sheriff White said.
MARY E. GAMMON
"They did search her vehicle; they did not locate any identifiable substances or anything. They did open a couple of liquid containers to see if it was alcohol or what have you. And it was not," he said.
Sheriff White said things started to change after they arrested Mary Gammon—especially for the Eddyville Chief of Police. "They were doing their normal routine stuff, and that the officer was reading what's called an implied consent warning to the offender, and he began the best way, I think, to characterize it was his, his voice was, and his words were becoming unintelligible," he said.
The ambulance was quickly called. All officers were given Narcan and later medical attention.
White says in his 29 years of experience he's seen officers suffer from exposure—but never like this. So, if you're ever helping someone experiencing an overdose, first call 911 and then remember this.
"This, for instance, is a nasal spray. You don't have to physically touch that person. If you can keep from physically touching the person with your body, it's best to do that...Because you don't want that residual or airborne to get on you," he said.
White also mentioned if you do administer Narcan, back away... Because somebody can come out of that overdose experience in mere seconds. There can also be a delay—from 30 seconds to over a minute. If they come back quickly, they may be combative.
The sheriff's department also received more test strips and Narcan from the Pennyrile District Health Department to protect themselves during traffic stops.
Gammon is still being held at the Crittenden County jail.
