New Haven Mass Overdose: 70+ Overdoses, Arrests Made

NEW HAVEN, CT — Emergency crews were pushed to the limit in what officials are calling a mass casualty incident after 77 reported drug overdoses occurred between Tuesday and Wednesday night. The epicenter of the overdoses took place at the New Haven Green where first responders were literally running from one patient to the next in rapid fire.

At the center of it is a suspected bad batch of K2 that caused a variety of symptoms from vomiting to loss of consciousness.

A local man believed to be connected to at least some of the overdoses was arrested. He was arrested on a violation of probation warrant and had drugs on him, said Officer David Hartman, police spokesman. He is being classified as a person of interest in the investigation. To sign up for New Haven breaking news alerts and more, click here.

The total recorded for overdoses is around 76, according to multiple media reports.

K2 also known as Spice is a synthetic cannabinoid that is typically sprayed on plant material and smoked. The chemical structure is similar to chemicals in the marijuana plant, but it's effects are unpredictable and can be life-threatening, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Two people managed to overdose three times within six hours, according to the New Haven Register.

The Drug Enforcement Agency along with state officials aided New Haven in the epidemic. A DEA drug test revealed that one K2 sample wasn't mixed with an opioid. A handful of the overdose victims did test positive for fentanyl at the hospital, but it's unknown if it was from the use of one drug or multiple drugs.

Scenes from the New Haven Green were shocking with EMS, fire and police officials flooding the Green trying to keep up with the chaos.

There have been no reported fatalities. Victims come from a wide range of ages and demographics, said Fire Chief John Alston.

Calls started coming in around 8 a.m. Wednesday regarding multiple overdoses on the Green.

Bodies are literally dropping all around me from suspected drug overdoses despite massive effort by #NewHaven cops & fire. I've never seen anything quite this bad happening at once. .@WTNH #CTnews pic.twitter.com/bQhlmNMkw7
— Mario Boone, Jou. (@MarioBooneTV) August" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/MarioBoone... 15, 2018

Moments earlier first responders rushed in to help another man that #NBCCT photographer @trevor51977 saw fall to the ground on the New Haven Green #NBCCT pic.twitter.com/Pud0JjubYD
— Justin Schecker (@jscheckerNBCCT) August" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/jscheckerN... 15, 2018

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