Local drug task force reporting disturbing uptick in drug overdoses from Mar. to Aug. in Sullivan County
“These drug dealers are driven by the money they make at the expense of our citizens’ lives and wellbeing. Enough is enough.”
Sullivan County District Attorney Barry Staubus with a stern warning during a Friday morning press conference in Sullivan County to drug dealers that have influenced a disturbing trend of increased overdoses in Sullivan County in the last five months.
The Sullivan County Drug Related Death Task Force, a joint operation created last July, says from Mar. 1 to Aug. 1 of this year, there have been 97 overdoses across Bristol, Kingsport, and Sullivan County, with 22 reported deaths. The rate of deaths from overdose in the last six months have been around one per week, but a news release says these are only a portion of the total number of overdoses that occurred in this time period, as many overdoses are not reported.
A breakdown of the reported overdoses by reports from law enforcement agencies in the county from Mar. 1 to Aug. 1 can be found below:
Kingsport Police Department: 57 reported overdoses, 12 deaths
Bristol Tennessee Police Department: 16 reported overdoses, 1 death
Bluff City Police Department: 2 reported overdoses, 1 death
Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office: 22 reported overdoses, 8 deaths
Although a number of drugs are contributing to the overdoses such as heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, TBI Assistance Special Agent in Charge Chuck Kimbril says a big portion of those have come from a combination of heroin and fentanyl. Kimbril also says the source of the supply problem is not necessary local.
“A lot of the people that we see that are supplying this area are coming from out of state. We’ve had cases where we’ve had people from North Carolina, Ohio, Detriot, MI, and Atlanta, GA, that are coming to this area,” said Kimbril.
Kimbril mentioned that the effects from the coronavirus pandemic could be a contributing factor to a rise in overdoses.
10 out of state dealers were recently arrested and several drugs, including heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine, as well as firearms and cash were seized. The Drug Task Force is asking the public that if they have information that can help in the overdose investigation, please call the hotline at 423-323-8615 or 1-800-TBI-FIND.
The Drug Related Death Task Force is made up of representatives from the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, and Bristol, TN and Kingsport Police Departments. Following its launch, an investigation led to the indictment of a Kingsport woman on murder charges in connection to a woman’s overdose death last November. You can read more on that story here.
(PHOTO: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation)
