3 men dead from possible fentanyl overdose at DTLA apartment complex; officer hospitalized

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Three men were found dead from a possible fentanyl overdose at an apartment complex in downtown Los Angeles Thursday morning.

Officers were conducting a welfare check at the complex on Spring Street just after 1 a.m., according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Upon entering, they found three unresponsive men, only described as being in their 40s.

Authorities say one officer started feeling nausea and dizziness and was taken to the hospital in stable condition. It's unclear what caused those symptoms.

Fentanyl, the cheap but powerful narcotic, is 80-100 times stronger than morphine and is often added to heroin to make it more potent. That has been leading to a wave of deaths from coast to coast.

"Throughout the nation, and especially in L.A. County, they've had a lot of cases where people are overdosing on fentanyl because of the amount of narcotic that's present in it," said Capt. Steven Ruiz.

Hazmat crews had to decontaminate the area before police could continue their investigation.