Glendora officers use Narcan nasal spray to revive heroin overdose victim

GLENDORA, Calif. (KABC) -- Glendora police officers used Narcan, a special nasal spray, to revive a man who overdosed on heroin inside a bathroom Saturday night.

Authorities responded to a home in the 800 block of East Route 66 shortly before 11 p.m. When officers arrived, they found a 31-year-old man unconscious in the bathroom and in respiratory distress.

The man's breathing was shallow and his pulse was slow and weak. Two of the officers, who were trained EMTs, delivered a dose of Narcan to the victim, and within a minute his breathing was normal and his pulse rose.

Paramedics arrived and took the man to Glendora Community Hospital where he regained consciousness and fully recovered. This is the first time the spray has been used by the department's officers, authorities said.

In April, the Glendora Police Department became the first law enforcement agency in Los Angeles County to receive approval to use Narcan to revive people who overdosed on opioids. The nasal naloxone is limited to only five officers and one community services officer on the force.

All the officers completed a two-hour training course on how to properly use the nasal spray. They also carry oxygen, which is used in conjunction with the spray to help with reviving patients.