Springfield police arrest a man suspected of being responsible for a drug overdose – News – The Register-Guard

SPRINGFIELD – The distributor suspected of being responsible for at least part of the drug overdoses in the Eugene-Springfield area last month has been arrested.

Jaycee Wayne Johnson, 32, of Springfield, was arrested on suspicion of possession, fabrication and delivery of heroin and fentanyl after Springfield police issued a search warrant at Johnson's residence on Friday. according to Lieutenant Scott McKee. He is also suspected of possessing methamphetamine.

Formal charges have not yet been filed and the investigation is underway.

During the search, the police reportedly found one gram of "China White", a fentanyl-based drug that would be involved in some of the 23 overdoses that occurred in Eugene and Springfield between September 21 and 24. Springfield police issued a public warning. September 22 after receiving five reports of overdose in eight hours.

According to McKee, one of the victims told the police that the drug that he had eaten called China White, a so-called "synthetic drug," according to an article in the report. last year appeared in the New York Times. China White was a slang term for heroin in the 1980s, but it is now used to refer to furanyl-fentanyl, said an article about the drug in Rolling Stone last year. China White is similar to heroin and morphine but is a hundred times more potent, produces a longer lasting effect and is harder to treat in case of overdose, the article says.

The Springfield police had previously said they were investigating whether the drug was fentanyl, "particularly pure" heroin, or heroin containing fentanyl. Before serving the search warrant last week, field agents tested the drug with a user, and the result was positive for fentanyl, McKee said. Additional tests are underway at Oregon State Police's Crime Lab.

No deaths related to the 23 overdoses were reported. Authorities attributed this to the wide availability of Narcan, also known as naloxone, a drug that counteracts the effects of opiates and is available as an injection or nasal spray.

McKee said the police who raided Johnson's home had also found an ounce of black mango, which is considered a reseller amount, as well as a quantity of methamphetamine consumed by the user. Johnson also had an injectable dose of Narcan among his belongings, said McKee.