durham county Archives - Fentanyl Victims Network of North Carolina

Kilo of fentanyl discovered in Durham drug trafficking arrest

DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — A man has been arrested, and a kilo of the highly potent, synthetic opioid fentanyl has been seized by the Durham County Sheriff’s Office.

On Thursday, Jerrad Alexander McPherson, 28, was seen acting suspiciously in what appeared to be the sale and distribution of drugs, according to investigators with the sheriff’s narcotics unit.

Detective S. Dixon attempted a traffic stop of the maroon Buick Encore McPherson was driving, at which time warrants state McPherson drove recklessly and more than 15 mph over the posted limit in the area of Hillsborough and Colemill roads in northwest Durham.

During a short pursuit, the sheriff’s office said McPherson threw items out of the car before coming to a stop. The items thrown from the car were found to be a stolen 9mm semiautomatic pistol and a “small amount of narcotics,” according to the sheriff’s office.

After the traffic stop, a warrant was granted to search McPherson’s home, where a kilo of fentanyl was found and seized.

At the time of his arrest, McPherson was on federal probation and had been previously convicted on drug possession charges, according to his warrant.

Following his Thursday arrest, he was taken to the Durham County jail and given a $2.5 million bond. His charges include:

Trafficking opium or fentanyl
Possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver fentanyl
Possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver methamphetamine
Felony possession of cocaine
Felony flee/elude arrest with a motor vehicle
2 counts of maintaining a vehicle/dwelling with controlled substances
Possession of a stolen firearm
Possess firearm by felon
Possession of drug paraphernalia

The sheriff’s office said one kilo is enough to kill about 500,000 people, which is more than the population of the entire City of Durham.

“To remove a kilo of fentanyl off our streets potentially saves 500,000 lives because fentanyl is so potent,” Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead told CBS 17. “An amount that’s the size of a pinhead could kill an individual.”

From January to August 2025, the state reported 44 fentanyl-positive deaths in Durham County. Though progress is being made, the county has lost more than 500 people due to opioids since 2013.

“Hopefully now, we’ll put together a good case and present it to the district attorney or to the U.S. attorney’s office because this is trafficking,” Birkhead said. “We’ll try to prosecute this individual to the fullest extent of the law.”

That’s a welcomed goal for family members of local victims.

Two Narcan vending machines in Durham used to combat drug overdoses

Durham has installed two Narcan vending machines as part of a broader effort to make treatment for drug overdoses more accessible.

Read the original article and watch the video on the WRAL TV5 News website.

Durham has installed two Narcan vending machines as part of a broader effort to make treatment for drug overdoses more accessible.

Two Narcan vending machines are now available to the public in Durham at:

Durham County Department of Public Health, 414 E. Main St.
Durham County Detention Center, 219 S. Mangum St.

Federal health leaders visited Durham on Wednesday to discuss the importance of making Naloxone, an over-the-counter drug sold under the name Narcan, more readily available. Among the visitors were Dr. Rahul Gupta, who oversees the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Narcan is a lifesaving drug that can help reverse overdoses. During Wednesday’s visit to the detention center, Gupta said free access to the treatment is a game changer.

“Every time this happens, it’s a leading effort for the country as an example for the nation, for the state to do that.,” Gupta said. “Are there enough across the country? No. This why I’m here today … to exemplify the leading efforts right here in Durham County.”

Gupta said overdoses in North Carolina have declined in recent years, citing a 14% decrease in overdoses in the state compared to a 5% national decrease.

The vending machine at the detention center will be accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, while the vending machine at the Department of Public Health will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

People at risk for opioid overdose, including those struggling with opioid use disorder or taking high doses of opioid medications, are recommended to carry Narcan.

Durham County Department of Public Health, 414 E. Main St.

Durham County Detention Center, 219 S. Mangum St.

ABC11 coverage of Fentvic Meetup #12

Coverage from the 6PM edition:

Coverage from the 11PM edition:

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) — It’s a problem that’s become all too common.

In Durham County alone, the sheriff said last year they seized 3.7 grams of fentanyl from the streets. This year, so far over 300 grams have been removed.

On Saturday the group Fentanyl Victims of North Carolina held its 12th meet-up in Durham.

Natalie Beauchaine proudly shared a photo of her son Jake.

“He was smart he was giving he was loyal if he was your friend he was your loyal friend,” Natalie said.

But behind his smile was also a battle with addiction that ultimately turned tragic.

“It was not an overdose, it was something that he thought was heroin,” Natalie said.

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The heroin was laced with a fatal amount of fentanyl. In the midst of her grief, Natalie found community among other members of a club no one wants to be a part of – families of fentanyl victims.

“It doesn’t know race, it doesn’t know color, it doesn’t know socioeconomic background, it affects everybody,” she said.

Around a table, other families shared similar stories, including how many were caught off guard by what has become a silent killer.

“Marijuana can be laced with fentanyl and sometimes fentanyl can even be in water or soda as far as a child is concerned, and you don’t know that it’s there which is really really dangerous,” said Dr. Wanda Boone.

Dangerous also because of how cheap and prevalent it is.

“It is an economic boon to the drug trade,” said Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead.

Birkhead said his office is working to get fentanyl off the streets.

“Once they get it, they can take those 3.7 grams or those 300 grams and just multiply it exponentially,” he said.

One solution they’re fighting for is making sure naloxone is available in every school in the state. They’re also hoping these stories and legacies save lives.

“I just don’t want to see any other families go through this. It’s a horrible grief and it’s just something that nobody else has to go through,” Natalie said.

Wake County approved naloxone in all schools but not every county has them. State Senator Mike Woodard said it would only cost around $350,000 to supply naloxone statewide and he’s hoping to get it into the state budget.

Read the story and watch the video on the ABC11 News website.