A New Jersey policeman who took a heroin overdose in a police car while he was on duty is losing his job

A police officer on duty in New Jersey who was driving his patrol car when he was found a heroin overdose in April lost his job, authorities said Friday.

Matthew D. Ellery, 29, of Middlesex, was sworn in as a police officer with the Franklin Township Police Service in January 2017.

On April 7, shortly after 1 pm, Ellery was working when the dispatch attempted to reach him via police radio, according to the Somerset County Attorney's Office. After he did not answer, an officer went to pick him up at his last known place and found him insensitive in the driver's seat of his patrol car parked in the driveway. of a company.

The attending officer, who is also an emergency medical technician, determined that Ellery had an opioid overdose and administered him two doses of naloxone, a drug commonly referred to as Narcan that reverses the opioid overdose. .

Ellery pleaded guilty Friday in front of the superior court of possession of heroin and driving while intoxicated.

As part of his plea agreement, Ellery will lose his police position. He will also lose his driver's license for seven months.

Ellery will avoid jail or jail by applying to the Somerset County Drug Court program. If he does not complete the program, he could be sentenced to five years in prison.

His lawyer, Steven Altman, could not be contacted immediately for a comment.

Ellery is to be sentenced to the Superior Court of Somerville on August 23rd.