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Fayetteville police urge community members to carry Narcan due to extreme opioid overdoses
The Fayetteville Police Department said they have seen an increase in drug overdoses from synthetic opioids in the past several months. Police are encouraging community members to carry Naloxone (Narcan). It is a nasal spray that will rapidly reverse an opioid overdose and restore breathing.
Fayetteville police are urging community members to carry Narcan due to a large number of opioid overdoses in the area.
The Fayetteville Police Department said they have seen an increase in drug overdoses from synthetic opioids in the past several months. Police are encouraging community members to carry Naloxone (Narcan). It is a nasal spray that will rapidly reverse an opioid overdose and restore breathing.
“Our immediate priority is preventing the additional loss of life. Synthetic opioids do not discriminate, and one exposure can be fatal,” said Fayetteville Police Department Major Shawn Strepay. “We ask everyone in our community to take this warning seriously and to call 911 immediately if an overdose is suspected.”
Police were called to a location on Saturday where three people were experiencing overdoses. Upon arrival, officers began lifesaving measures and called EMS. Two people died, and one person was taken to the hospital in serious condition.
People around Fayetteville agreed that carrying Narcan is a smart preventative measure while acknowledging the need for addiction resources.
“Even though Narcan is a very important preventative measure, I think there’s more things that could get to the root of the issue before that,” said Indie Luther, a Fayetteville resident.
“We urge friends and family members to have those difficult, but necessary, conversations with loved ones struggling with substance abuse. Warn them about this circulating danger and encourage them to seek help before it is too late,” Strepay said.
That message was echoed by another resident who works with Fayetteville Pride, which an organization supporting the city’s LGBTQ+ community and allies.
“Down here especially we have a lot of unhoused people,” said Krystal Maddox. “We do a lot of community activities and a lot of work in the community, so I know a lot of our members carry it.”
Where to find Naloxone (Narcan):
- Naloxone is available for free from the Cumberland County Department of Public Health, located at 1235 Ramsey St.
- Local pharmacies will offer Nalaxone without a prescription.
- For more information on distribution, visit naloxonesave-nc.org
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PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Fentanyl Awareness & Safety
The Fayetteville Police Department is urging our community to stay informed about the dangers of fentanyl a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.
A lethal dose of fentanyl can be as small as 2 milligrams—roughly the size of a few grains of salt.
Aurora man Tyran Dixon sentenced in fentanyl overdose death case
Read the original article on the WCTI ABC12 News website.
An Aurora man has been sentenced to prison following a fatal fentanyl overdose and narcotics investigation, according to the Beaufort County District Attorney’s Office.
Tyran Dixon pleaded guilty on Aug. 12 to death by distribution, trafficking in fentanyl, trafficking in methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. He also admitted to violating probation, according to the Beaufort County DA’s office.
The case stems from the December 2023 death of 24-year-old Jaquan Cannon. The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office found Cannon unresponsive inside a vehicle on Peedtown Road in Aurora. The Beaufort County DA’s office said a toxicology report determined he died from acute fentanyl toxicity.
Investigators determined Cannon arranged to purchase fentanyl from Dixon the night before his death, according to the district attorney’s office. In May 2024, a search of Dixon’s Aurora residence uncovered trafficking amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Superior Court Judge Seth Edwards sentenced Dixon to 110 to 144 months for death by distribution, 90 to 120 months for fentanyl trafficking and 70 to 93 months for methamphetamine trafficking. Those sentences will run concurrently.
The Beaufort County DA’s office said that Dixon has to serve at least 110 months, or 9 years and 2 months, before becoming eligible for release. That sentence will begin after Dixon serves an additional 10 to 21 months for his probation violation.
Aurora man gets 12 years in overdose death
BEAUFORT COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) – An Aurora man will spend the next 12 years in state prison after his guilty plea in a drug overdose death case.
Beaufort County District Attorney Tom Anglim says Tyran Dixon pleaded guilty to death by distribution, trafficking in fentanyl, trafficking in methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The man also admitted to violating terms of a probationary sentence he was serving when the death happened.
Jaquan Cannon was found dead on December 11, 2023 inside a vehicle on Peedtown Road outside of Aurora.
Anglim says their investigation showed that Cannon bought fentanyl from Dixon the day before he died.
Judge Seth Edwards sentenced Dixon to serve between 9 years, 2 months and 12 years on the death and drug charges, and between 10 months and a year, 9 months for the probation violation.
The judge also ordered Dixon to pay a $750,000 fine and restitution to Cannon’s family.
Recorded overdoses in NC down 27% midway through 2026. Local departments warn of fentanyl spike
Read the original article and watch the video on the WRAL News website.
Data from the Department of Health and Human Services shows midway through 2026, North Carolina is seeing a 27% reduction of reported opioid overdoses across state emergency departments.
Between January and June, to include six months of DHHS data, there are 2,031 reported opioid overdoses in the state. That’s down by more than 700 overdoses compared to the same period of time last year.
Illicit opioids, which includes fentanyl, make up more than half of the emergency department visits in the state.
This comes six months after WRAL reported that North Carolina, as a state, saw another consecutive year of declining opioid and fentanyl overdose numbers. An analysis of state health data showed that opioid overdose hospitalizations had decreased by more than 20% in the last year, marking two consecutive years of declining emergency department visits in North Carolina. The same data source shows similar trends for fentanyl positive deaths, which decreased by 24% in the last year.
Even still, local police departments are issuing public safety notices about localized spikes in suspected fentanyl.
In Fayetteville, policer offers report an increase of overdoses believed to be caused by fentanyl in the local community.
“The increase has prompted concern that particularly potent or contaminated illegal drugs may currently be circulating in the Fayetteville area,” a spokesperson for the department said.
This rare spike comes as Cumberland County is experiencing a drastic reduction in overdoses reported to hospitals. Monthly DHHS data shows there are 33 reported cases so far this year, down from 95 over the same window of time last year.
Illicit opioids, which includes fentanyl, make up more than half of the emergency department visits in the state.
This comes six months after WRAL reported that North Carolina, as a state, saw another consecutive year of declining opioid and fentanyl overdose numbers. An analysis of state health data showed that opioid overdose hospitalizations had decreased by more than 20% in the last year, marking two consecutive years of declining emergency department visits in North Carolina. The same data source shows similar trends for fentanyl positive deaths, which decreased by 24% in the last year.
Even still, local police departments are issuing public safety notices about localized spikes in suspected fentanyl.
In Fayetteville, policer offers report an increase of overdoses believed to be caused by fentanyl in the local community.
“The increase has prompted concern that particularly potent or contaminated illegal drugs may currently be circulating in the Fayetteville area,” a spokesperson for the department said.
This rare spike comes as Cumberland County is experiencing a drastic reduction in overdoses reported to hospitals. Monthly DHHS data shows there are 33 reported cases so far this year, down from 95 over the same window of time last year.
By the numbers: Hospitalizations, deaths track down
Statewide, North Carolina recorded 4,960 emergency department visits related to opioid overdoses in 2025. That marks a 21% decrease in the last year, and a 48% decrease since 2023 when the state recorded a record number of 9,624.
In total, overdose emergency department visits decreased by 14% between 2024 and 2025. Last year’s 10,627 cases still mark a 43% reduction since 2023.
Total Overdose Emergency Department visits
WRAL analyzed data across the Raleigh area, including the North Carolina counties that surround the capital city. Eight counties did not offer county-level reporting. The year-over-year data revealed that rural counties are among those that have seen the largest gains in opioid hospitalization reduction from a per capita standpoint.
“Since the spike stream of the pandemic, we’re following national trends and exceeding national trends. Not only state but county-level data,” Dr. Kelly Crosbie says, Director of DHHS’ Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services
