Sheriff’s deputy overdoses after being exposed to fentanyl during arrest

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department has released body camera footage of crucial moments in which one deputy saved the life of another after overdosing on fentanyl exposure during an arrest last month.

Deputy David Faiivae was an intern at the scene of the arrest on July 3 when he was exposed to the deadly opioid, Cpl. Scott Crane says in the video. He said Faiive was exposed to fentanyl while processing evidence on their first call of the day.

“He found a white substance that he suspected was drugs,” Crane said in the video. “I was like, ‘Hey man, too close. You can’t get too close to it. And a few seconds later, he took a few steps back and collapsed.

Body camera footage showed Crane administering naloxone, also known as Narcan, to Faiivae. The drug approved by the FDA is intended to counteract the effects of an opioid overdose.

“I remember not feeling good and then I fall back and I don’t remember anything after that,” Faiivae said in the video. “I was trying to catch my breath, but I couldn’t breathe at all.”

The video was released by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department to promote public safety and highlight the dangers of fentanyl.

The synthetic opioid is 80 to 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin, according to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. In 2019, more than 70% of overdose deaths in the United States were attributed to opioids, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“He’s an invisible killer,” Crane said. “He would have died in the parking lot if he had been alone.