New Haven Mass Overdoses: 76 Cases, 2 Arrests Made

NEW HAVEN, CT — Police in New Haven have arrested two individuals after the New Haven Green turned into a chaotic abyss of drug users falling before first responders’ eyes as they overdosed on suspected K2. The city made national headlines Wednesday after it experienced 76 overdoses with many occurring on the Green. City officials are now working with federal law enforcement in the wake of the incident. There were no fatalities yesterday.

“Yesterday was a very difficult, very chaotic situation for law enforcement as well as the fire department, EMS and emergency operations,” said Police Chief Anthony Campbell.

The New Haven Green is in a bustling part of town near City Hall, both federal and state courthouses and Yale University.

The K2 used at the Green was a rapid-acting form of the drug that also gave users a short window of a high, said Dr. Sandy Boguski medical director for the Yale New Haven Hospital. Most victims were discharged quickly from the hospital after recovering and some returned to the Green to get more of the drug. At least one person had to be transported three times to the hospital.

The blame game has also started about what led to the tragedy at the Green. State Senate Republican President Pro Tempore Len Fasano from nearby North Haven criticized city officials.

"It speaks to a painful and ugly reality about drug abuse we have to work together to combat,” Fasano said. “It also speaks to a city that has allowed one of its primary community centers, the New Haven Green, to deteriorate to the point where it is no longer an attraction for families or economic development, but a place of despair." (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Read more of Fasano’s comments here.

Mayor Toni Harp responded to Fasano’s comments by saying he, “needs to get his facts straight.”

“We are the only city in Connecticut that got a $9.4 million hit from the state budget,” she said. “I am really appalled that someone who contributed to our city’s lack of resources would say that it is our fault.”

She added that 54 percent of the city’s property is tax exempt, which makes state aid crucial.

The Drug Enforcement Agency tested one sample yesterday that was identified as K2 without any additives such as opioids. More samples were sent for further testing, Campbell said.

Related: What Is K2? Drug Behind New Haven Mass Overdose

Police received reports of two individuals who were either selling or giving away free samples of K2 on the Green. They were both nabbed within a few hours, Campbell said. Both are familiar names to police. Police haven’t released the suspect names as the investigation continues.

“I’m confident we have a good idea of where the product came from,” Campbell said, adding that police are executing search warrants at additional locations as they look for other supplies of the drug.

Those found responsible could also face federal charges.

The Green will also have an enhanced police presence Thursday and in the days to come. Normally there are between six and eight officers on patrol in the downtown area and the city recently added four more bicycle patrols, Campbell said. Of that typically two officers will patrol the Green during the daytime shift.

Now there is a whole unit of officers, detectives and supervisors that numbers between 15 and 20 personnel on the Green, Campbell said.

Wednesday pushed police, fire and EMS first responders to the max as overdoses flooded in. Firefighters were dispatched to the Green before 8:15 a.m. on a report of three overdoses. When they arrived they had found another four or five overdose victims, said Fire Chief John Alston.

Within two hours there were a little over 20 overdose victims. Some fire units treated as many as nine overdose victims.

Police were contacted about the first overdose victims Tuesday night and detectives were sent out to find the source. Around 7 a.m. the Green was relatively quiet and detectives went to another part of the city to make six arrests for heroin and pills around 8 a.m., Campbell said. Around 8:30 a.m. they went back to the Green as overdose victims piled up.

City Deputy Director of Emergency Operations Rick Fontana said that pulling so many resources to deal with the situation on the Green strained emergency operations across the city.

“People have to understand, those folks out on the Green when they are taking firefighters and paramedics off the street the business doesn’t stop... The risk is huge because the folks who need first responder care may not be getting it quick enough.”

Image via Shutterstock