Man in jail delivers naloxone to person in medical distress, avoids overdose

A man held at the Otay Mesa jail came to the aid of another man authorities said was in “medical distress” last week by administering a medication known to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, the Sheriff’s Department said Wednesday.

The incident occurred just after 2:30 p.m. Thursday at the George Bailey Detention Facility, according to the department. An alarm alerted the deputies that someone had opened a box containing naloxone — known by the brand name Narcan — which is available in housing unit common areas at the county jails.

When deputies arrived at the housing unit, they found a man unresponsive. An incarcerated person had given the man two doses of the medication, which comes in a nasal spray and can quickly reverse the symptoms of an overdose so a person can breathe normally, authorities said.

Deputies and jail medical staff gave the man another eight doses of naloxone, the Sheriff ’s Department said. The man became responsive, and paramedics took him to a hospital for treatment.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the man had been released from the hospital and was back at the jail. It is not clear how long he was treated at the hospital.

This is the eighth time a person in San Diego County jail has used the naloxone kits since they were made available in the housing units in June, authorities said.

According to the department, jail deputies have used naloxone more than 500 times in suspected overdose cases since 2020.

Drug-related deaths have been a problem for years in San Diego County jails. A study released in April by Analytica Consulting, commissioned by the civilian review board that oversees the Sheriff ’s Department, found that compared to other large counties in California, “inmates in San Diego jails have the highest death rates.”

According to the report, a person incarcerated in a San Diego County jail is twice as likely as someone incarcerated in another California jail to die from a drug overdose.

Early this year, the California State Auditor issued a sharply critical report detailing the high number of fatalities in San Diego County jails. Specifically, it detailed 185 deaths between 2006 and 2020.

The audit found the Sheriff’s Department failed to prevent and respond to the deaths, and called for the Legislature to force the department to make fixes. The department initially pushed back on the audit, rejecting several of its findings and methodology, but has since said it is working to make the changes.

In addition to now providing naloxone in county jails, the department said it has implemented new medical procedures to screen people booked into the facilities to determine their substance abuse history.

Other measures previously in place include: body scanners, X

Ray machines, drug-sniffing dogs, pat downs, surprise checks of housing units, processing of mail that comes into the jails.

CALEB LUNETTA

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Officials release name of man fatally shot by police CHULA VISTA

Authorities on Thursday released the name of a man who was fatally shot by a Chula Vista police officer while armed with a knife in a shopping center parking lot Sunday night, as well as the name of the officer.

Police said Officer Alfonso Perdomo shot Bradley Munroe, 32, as the Chula Vista resident approached the officer with the knife in his hand. Perdomo had told Munroe to drop the knife, but he did not comply, police said.

Perdomo, a canine handler, has been on the police force for about five years.

The officer had responded about 8:20 p.m. to calls about a woman being hit by a man and screaming for help in the shopping center on Broadway near Oxford Street. The 911 callers said the man was walking with a wheelchair and hitting cars with his hands and parts from the wheelchair, police said.

When Perdomo arrived, the suspect, now identified as Munroe, was holding a knife, police said. The officer told Munroe to drop the knife, but Munroe did not comply and instead climbed into the bed of a pickup, crouched down and began hitting the back windows of the truck, police said.

Munroe then jumped out of the pickup and began to approach the officer, with the knife in his hand. Perdomo told him to stop, but Munroe continued to approach, police said. That’s when Perdomo shot Munroe, who was struck several times and died before he could be taken to a hospital.

The San Diego Police Department is investigating the shooting in accordance with a countywide agreement that says agencies will no longer investigate shootings by their own officers or deputies.

Once San Diego police complete the investigation, the county District Attorney’s Office will review the case, as is protocol, to determine if the officer will face any criminal charges.

San Diego police homicide Lt. Jud Campbell said Thursday that the woman involved in the initial incident was not believed to be a victim of a crime. The lieutenant said the woman is related to Munroe, but did reveal the specifics of that relationship.

Police said the shooting was captured on the officer’s bodyworn camera.

State law requires agencies to release footage of police shootings within 45 days, with few exceptions.

DAVID HERNANDEZ

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Firefighters extinguish fire in unit of high-rise downtown

SAN DIEGO

A fire forced several residents to evacuate a high-rise apartment building in the East Village neighborhood Thursday afternoon, as about 170 firefighters rushed to extinguish the flames in a unit on the 12th floor.

The blaze was contained to the apartment where it started, and no injuries were reported, according to San Diego Fire-Rescue Department officials.

The fire was reported about 12:10 p.m. at the St. Teresa of Calcutta Villa apartments on the corner of 14th and Commercial streets.

The 14-story tower includes 407 units and primarily houses people who have experienced homelessness.

Video from OnScene TV shows flames and black smoke billowing from a window as firefighters respond.

Officials said crews took a stairwell up to the fire, evacuated residents from the 13th f loor and called for additional resources.

It was ultimately designated a three-alarm fire, meaning there was a high level of response, including 22 fire engine crews, official said.

The fire was knocked down about 12:40 p.m.

The Red Cross was called to assist residents, although it was unclear how many, if any, were displaced.

A damage estimate was not immediately available.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.