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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.

“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

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.

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.

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

Percent change between 2024 and 2025

Nash County man charged with 17-year-old’s death after selling fentanyl, warrants say

A Nash County man is charged with death by distribution, after allegedly selling him fentanyl. A 17-year-old died from the drug. His bond was increased from $250,000 to $1 million during his first court appearance Thursday.

A Nash County man has been charged with the death of a 17-year-old after he sold him drugs.

Deputies with the Nash County Sheriff’s Office said the teenager died after taking fentanyl and going into cardiac arrest on June 15.

The sheriff’s office began investigating the teen’s death, which led to the arrest of Dillon Davis of Nashville. Davis is charged with felony death by distribution.

Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone said investigators will continue working to stop the distribution of drugs in the county.

“We will continue to fight the poison that is filtering into our county,” Stone said in a release. “Those who choose to distribute these deadly substances will be held accountable for their actions.”

The sheriff’s office said the case remains active and additional charges are possible as the investigation continues.

Davis was initially given a $250,000 secured bond. During his first court appearance Thursday, his bond was increased to $1 million.

Death by distribtion trial begins for man accused of selling fentanyl before Carrboro man’s overdose

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

Jeremiah Hargrove is one of seven people to ever be charged with death by distribution in Orange County.

Three years after a Carboro man died from an overdose, the man accused of selling him the drugs is going to trial.

The charge, death by distribution, is relatively new to the North Carolina court system.

The law has been in effect since 2019, making it relatively new when it comes to a legal sense, and it’s being used all across the state.

Law professionals said it can get very complicated when trying to prosecute someone for selling a deadly dose. Since 2019, when the charge of death by distribution became law, Jeremiah Hargrove is one of seven people to ever be charged with it in Orange County. The charges came after 21-year-old Delise Ndinga Momo died of an overdose.

“If it saves one life, it’s worth it,” said retired judge Carl Fox.

Fox said it has its difficulties in getting through the court.

“You have a little bit of difficulty because the main person you need is deceased,” Fox said.

Fox says to get a conviction there needs to be hard evidence of the sale.

“They are, by their very nature, difficult cases,” Fox said.

Hargrove’s trial is just beginning. The prosecutors will lay out their evidence over the course of the trial’s early days. Court records said he sold indigamomo fentanyl in 2023, less than a week after his 21st birthday.

Family members remembering him as a handsome, talented, strong and generous person according to the GoFundMe they created back then. He’s one of the more than 23,000 North Carolinians to die from an opioid overdose since the death by distribution law was created. In that same time frame, according to the Fentanyl Victims Network, nearly 400 people have been charged in relation to selling the drugs that caused those deaths.

You have to say that it’s accomplishing something, and there should be risks involved for people out there dealing dangerous addictive drugs, because that’s the kind of thing that can kill people,” Fox said.

If Hargrove is found guilty, he faces up to five to six years in prison. That trial is expected to continue throughout the week.

WRAL Investigates: Opioid overdoses, fentanyl deaths decrease for second straight year in Triangle

An analysis of state health data shows that opioid overdose hospitalizations have decreased by more than 20% in the last year, marking two consecutive years of declining emergency department visits in North Carolina.

“I’m excited to see the decreases continue,” says Tyler Yates, State Opioid Coordinator with DHHS’ Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services. “Not long after the action plan was put into play in 2017, we saw some decreases right away and then COVID happened. Overdose deaths skyrocketed.”

Read the complete of the article on the WRAL News website.

Download Article PDF

More drugs, fewer weapons found in schools, crime data shows

More than 99% of students were not involved in a reportable crime on campus, said Michael Maher, chief accountability officer for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Most schools reported only zero to five criminal offenses at their school last year, he said.

Criminal offenses went down again in North Carolina schools during the 2024-25 school year, with another significant drop in offenses for weapon possession, new data shows.

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction released the latest public school crime statistics during the State Board of Education meeting on Wednesday.

The drop in criminal offenses reported reflects ongoing trends, but so does a continued rise in offenses for drug possession.

Total offenses dropped from 12,212 the year before to 11,470 offenses last year, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, which released the data Wednesday afternoon.

Raleigh mom spreads awareness of drug overdose risk by gifting skateboards to Triangle kids

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

A Raleigh mom is raising awareness about drug overdose risks by gifting skateboards to children across the Triangle area. Her mission not only remembers her son but also educates families on the dangers of substance abuse.

Susan Plattner’s son, Caleb Mehlman, spent most of his free time at Marsh Creek Skatepark in Raleigh. She said skateboarding was second nature for her son.

“At the age of three, I had a scooter, and he figured out how to push the handle down and turn it into a skateboard, and that was it,” Plattner said. “He was skating passionately ever since then.”

“Every life is worth saving”: How a UNC researcher’s website is connecting communities to naloxone

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

Delesha Carpenter’s personal tragedy has fueled her mission to combat opioid overdoses through increased naloxone access. Her new website with UNC maps naloxone availability across NC’s 100 counties.

Delesha Carpenter began her career as a researcher focused on pediatrics. A little over seven years ago, her path took an unexpected turn following the deaths of two close friends.

“A lot of people who get into this field, it’s personal,” Carpenter said. “I lost two friends within two weeks of each other to opioid overdoses. That really inspired me to increase access to naloxone.”

The researcher and professor with the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy recently launched NalxoneNearMe.org. The website features an interactive map of all 100 North Carolina counties, rating them based on the number of naloxone distribution services available.

Durham County is tied with Mecklenburg County as the highest rated counties on the map with a score of 88. Wake County wasn’t far behind with a score of 77.

Carpenter told WRAL the Naloxone Availability Scores are based on the level of availability of no-cost naloxone and pharmacies that sell naloxone in each county.

Naloxone distribution resources are categorized into 14 types, including syringe service programs, EMS, harm reduction organizations, health departments, pharmacies and healthcare providers.

“The highest score a county can receive is 100, which would mean that all 14 naloxone sources included in the Naloxone Availability Score are present in that county,” Carpenter explained. “If a county had one harm reduction program in the county, they would get the same amount of ‘credit’ toward the score as a county that had two or three reduction programs.”

Increased naloxone use and availability are among the efforts researchers say have contributed to a reduction in opioid overdose deaths in recent years.

WRAL investigated how the medication works when taking viewers inside the human body to reveal the way naloxone fights against opioid overdoses.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported more than 41,500 North Carolinians died from overdoses between 2000-2023.

As of the latest data available from 2024, overdose deaths decreased by approximately 32% from the year prior.

“One thing is everybody’s life is worth saving. It is important to carry naloxone, especially if you’re going to be in situations where people are going to be using drugs, you never know what is in the drugs that you’re using,” Carpenter said.

Carpenter said increasing the availability of medications for opioid use, such as buprenorphine and methadone, would also help reduce overdose fatalities.

“Other resources that people should be aware of, and one that’s linked on our website, is Naloxone Saves. Ours tells you what types of sources are available, but you can go to the Naloxone Saves website and find the actual pharmacies that carry and stock naloxone, or find your health department and whether it’s distributing naloxone,” Carpenter added.

Naloxone will not harm someone who hasn’t taken an opioid, so it is recommended even when it is unclear what kind of drug a person has taken.

More than one dose may be needed because some opioids, like fentanyl, can take a stronger hold on the opioid receptors.

Woman charged with selling fentanyl that led to fatal overdose, Wake County deputies say

Read the original article on the WRAL TV5 website.

A woman was arrested Monday and charged with the fatal overdose of a man earlier this year.

A woman was arrested Monday and charged with the fatal overdose of a man earlier this year.

On March 29, the Wake County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a death investigation at a home off Panther Lake Road. They found 39-year-old Matthew Godbold unresponsive inside the home.

Their initial investigation indicated that the cause of death was a possible overdose.

Officials collected and sent evidence to the Wake County Bureau of Forensic Services for testing, which determined that substances found at the scene tested positive for fentanyl.

Deputies determined that 37-year-old Lauren Olsen sold drugs to Godbold that ultimately led to his death. The WCSO did not provide details as to how they connected Olsen to him.

On Monday evening, deputies arrested Olsen and charged her with aggravated death by distribution and felony sell/deliver a Schedule II controlled substance. She is scheduled to appear in court for the first time for this offense Tuesday afternoon.

According to court records, Olsen has a previous arrest history related to possessing drugs and drug paraphernalia from other counties.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid. When manufactured by pharmaceutical companies and approved by the FDA, it can be safely used to treat patients in severe pain. The synthetic fentanyl leading to many overdose deaths is made in unregulated labs, pushed by drug cartels, and put in various drugs as a cheap way to produce extremely strong substances.

The fentanyl crisis continues to devastate families across North Carolina, even as overdose deaths decline. Back in late May, Gov. Josh Stein called for a special unit to investigate fentanyl trafficking across the state.

Wayne County deputy sentenced to six-plus years for drug trafficking and fraud conspiracies

Wayne County sheriff’s deputy Michael Kenneth Cox received a six-year, two-month prison sentence for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy and a mail and wire fraud conspiracy.

A Wayne County sheriff’s deputy received a six-year, two-month sentence for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy and a mail and wire fraud conspiracy, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

Michael Kenneth Cox, 49, will also have three years of supervised release after the sentence.

“We discovered Cox’s criminal activity as part of a much larger, multi-year investigation into dozens of drug traffickers across eastern North Carolina known as Operation Polar Bear,” said U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Michael Easley Jr.

Citing court documents and other information presented in court, the Justice Department said Cox helped two drug traffickers evade chargers while he was a Wayne County deputy.