POUGHKEEPSIE – A drug user who nearly killed a City of Poughkeepsie officer with fentanyl has not returned to court after getting an appearance ticket on misdemeanor charges of reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a controlled substance. The near-death experience for the city cop occurred on the afternoon of September 13 on Mill Street.
The officer was addressing a report of individuals in a parked car who were using narcotics. He located and approached the vehicle that was occupied by a man and woman, who were observed using narcotics. During the investigation, the officer removed a “foil” containing an unknown substance from the front pocket of the man. As the officer attempted to determine the contents of the foil, the powdery substance escaped and made contact with the officer’s skin and nasal passages. He began to feel signs of an altered state including lightheadedness and immediately radioed for additional units to provide assistance for what he believed was fentanyl exposure. The officer used his personal nasal delivery of naloxone to reverse opioid overdose and exposure, which had a limited effect. A Sergeant quickly arrived and realized the officer was having a serious medical crisis and immediately rushed him to MidHudson Regional Hospital in a patrol vehicle. The officer’s condition was deteriorating until additional treatment measures began to have a positive effect on the officer.
The male drug user, 35-year-old David Reid, with no known address other than his vehicle, was charged with the two misdemeanors and given an appearance ticket on September 13, 2023, for a future court date.
According to the Dutchess County District Attorney’s Office, Reid appeared in the City of Poughkeepsie Court on October 3, for arraignment on the charges. Following the arraignment, Reid was ordered to appear back in court on October 17 for further proceedings. He has not returned. The judge issued a bench warrant for Reid which will result in his arrest in the event that police make contact with him.
“These are the struggles we deal with on a daily basis,” said City of Poughkeepsie PBA President Kevin Van Wagner. “We literally risk our lives for public safety yet elected officials are more interested in handcuffing us and making it nearly impossible to protect the community.”
“In the meanwhile,” Dutchess County DA Bureau Chief for Justice Courts and DWIs, Cindy Murphy said, “the Dutchess County District Attorney’s Office continues to gather discovery in compliance with Article 245 of the New York State Criminal Procedure Law.” Senior Assistant District Attorney Timothy Pagones is the assigned prosecutor for the case but did not respond to media requests for updates.
