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From revival to recovery: Some paramedics are changing the front line of addiction care

Read the original article on the North Carolina Health News website.

Supplies, such as the medications naloxone and buprenorphine, carried by Buncombe County community paramedics on the post-overdose response team. Credit: Courtesy of Justin Hall
By Rachel Crumpler

A life lost in Buncombe County in 2022 still weighs on — and motivates — Shuchin Shukla, a family physician who specializes in addiction medicine. 

A community paramedic had responded to an overdose involving a person recently released from jail. After reviving them, the paramedic told the patient about a soon-to-launch program that would start people on a medication used to treat opioid addiction after an overdose. 

“That would be amazing if you had it now, I would like to start now,” the patient said, according to a shift note of the encounter. 

But the program was still 10 days from launch. 

Soon after, the person used again, experienced a second overdose and went into cardiac arrest. They later died at the hospital.

“For the team working on this, the case hit home that every moment of every day matters for patients. At any minute, they’re at risk of dying or having an overdose,” Shukla said. “That’s how critical this is.”

For months, Shukla had been working with Buncombe County Emergency Medical Services to launch Buncombe Bridge to Care, a project to equip paramedics to administer buprenorphine — a medication proven to ease opioid withdrawal symptoms, reduce cravings and support long-term recovery for people with opioid use disorder — when responding to overdoses or others in the community struggling with addiction.

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HIDDEN DANGER: As fentanyl takes over opioids, innocent victims fall prey

Read the original article on the Daily Record website.

Theresa Mathewson and Susan Burkhart never asked for this. They never asked for their mission in life to be educating others about the dangers of fentanyl, but after they both lost a child to fentanyl poisonings that’s what they’re doing.

And now — that drug they’re warning others about — is popping up in all kinds of places and hurting all kinds of people, including the innocent.

Susan Burkhart, left, and Theresa Matthewson look at a poster filled with faces of Harnett County residents killed by fentanyl poisoning. Burkhart lost her granddaughter. Matthewson lost her son. Both women now fight to save as many others as they can.

It was added to the percocet pills that killed Mathewson’s son and Burkhart’s granddaughter. Dunn police found it in pills that looked like Flintstones vitamins. Sampson County medical workers found it in cigarettes. It was even in the bottle of water that killed Sophia Walsh, whose mother leads the Fentanyl Victims Network of North Carolina. 

“Fentanyl is everywhere,” Lt. Patrice Bogertey, of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, told The Daily Record in April. “Fentanyl is commonly mixed with heroin, cocaine, meth, and other narcotics to enhance their effects. It is available in various forms, including nasal sprays, liquids, pills, and powders.”

Dealers have hidden it in liquid eye drops and Advil liquid gel pills, in candy and in edibles.

Continue reading “HIDDEN DANGER: As fentanyl takes over opioids, innocent victims fall prey”

Burlington man charged with death by distribution in fatal overdose case

Read the original article on the ABC45 News website.

BURLINGTON, N.C. — The Burlington Police Department has charged Christopher Jacob Tidwell, 29, with death by distribution following a six-month investigation into a fatal overdose. The incident occurred on March 26, 2025, in the 2500 block of South Church Street in Burlington, N.C. Tidwell, a Burlington resident, was already being held on pending trafficking fentanyl charges related to the same investigation. He has not received a bond for these charges.

The Burlington Police Department emphasized its commitment to holding fentanyl traffickers accountable and pursuing justice for overdose victims.

“Fentanyl continues to be a leading cause of fatal overdoses across the nation,” the department stated, adding that it will “continue to work aggressively to identify and prosecute those who distribute this deadly substance.”

Police, federal agents make rare fentanyl lab bust; 2 arrested

Read the original article and watch the video on the WSOCTV9 website.

STANLEY, N.C. — Gastonia Police Vice detectives, working with federal partners, said they made a rare bust after dismantling a major fentanyl pill manufacturing lab in Stanley.

The six-month undercover investigation led to the seizure of more than 10,000 fentanyl pills, two pill press machines, and the arrests of two men, Gastonia police said.

The operation, conducted on Thursday led authorities to a residence on Bennington Drive in Stanley.

Inside, investigators discovered a highly contaminated environment, necessitating the use of hazmat protection for evidence collection.

The investigation, known as operation Blue Hammer, led to the seizure of two portable pill press machines used to manufacture counterfeit fentanyl-laced pills.

It’s rare to seize a functioning lab, police said.

The estimated street value of the seized narcotics is between $300,000 and $400,000.

Two suspects, Phillip McGill, Jr., 29, and Tryiq Curry, 27, were arrested and are being held on a $1 million bond each.

Charges are pending as the investigation continues.

Gastonia Police Chief Trent Conard praised the operation, stating, “This case represents months of meticulous, coordinated work between our detectives and our federal and local partners. Fentanyl has taken too many lives and destroyed too many families.”

Gaston County District Attorney Travis Page commended the agencies involved, saying, “I want to commend the Gastonia Police Department and our federal partners for their unrelenting efforts to eradicate fentanyl from our community.”

The Gastonia Police Department extended special thanks to their federal partners, Stanley Police Department, Gaston County Police Department, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation for their vital assistance in this investigation.

Newport woman sentenced for 2nd-degree murder

Read the original article on the WNCT TV9 website.

BEAUFORT, N.C. (WNCT) — Amanda Alice Blanton, 36, of Newport, pled guilty to 2nd degree murder in the death of Daniel Andrew Brisson, 46, also of Newport, and has been sentenced to 238-298 months in the Department of Adult Correction during the most recent term of Carteret County Criminal Superior Court.

The case was investigated by the Carteret County Sheriff’s Office, and the lead investigator was Courtney Howell. Assistant District Attorney David L. Spence prosecuted the case and Resident Superior Court Judge Clint Rowe presided over the matter.

Newport woman pleads guilty to second-degree murder of Carteret Co. man

Read the original article on the Carteret County News Times website.

BEAUFORT – District Attorney Matt Wareham and Carteret County Sheriff Asa Buck announced that Amanda Alice Blanton, age 36 of Newport, pled guilty to Second-Degree murder in the death of Daniel Andrew Brisson, age 46 of Newport, and was sentenced to 238-298 months in the Department of Adult Correction during the most recent term of Carteret County Criminal Superior Court.

The case was investigated by the Carteret County Sheriff’s Office and the lead investigator was Courtney Howell. Assistant District Attorney David L. Spence prosecuted the case and Resident Superior Court Judge Clint Rowe presided over the matter. Pending the disposition of co-defendant cases in this matter a more detailed release will be issued.

The body of Daniel Andrew Brisson was found on Harris Street on March 20, 2022. Following an investigation, the Carteret County Sheriff’s Office deputies have charged two more people with murder in connection with his death.

The two individuals are Joshua Kenneth Clauson, 20, and Jason Allen Porter, 42, of Newport. Police accuse the three individuals—Clauson, Porter, and a third person—of working together to intentionally inject Brisson with methamphetamine and fentanyl, and then dumping his body on Harris Street. Clauson is being held without bond at the Carteret County Jail. Porter was charged with murder but is already serving an active prison sentence for violating probation.

Deputies: Man arrested in connection with WNC overdose death in March

Read the original article and watch the video on the FoxCarolina (WHNS) website.

RUTHERFORD COUNTY, N.C. (FOX Carolina) – The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office reports arresting a man in connection with an overdose death in March.

Chad Ledbetter(Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office)

Deputies said they responded to Ozzie Drive in Bostic regarding a death investigation on Mar. 29. Investigators received an autopsy report on Sept. 29, where a fentanyl overdose was determined to be the cause of death.

Chad Ledbetter was arrested by the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, Spindale Police Department, and Road Patrol deputies on Friday on warrants for death by distribution and sell or deliver a controlled substance, according to deputies.

Ledbetter was given a $250,000 secured bond after his arrest.

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Multiple arrests made in Hoke County in Robeson death by distribution case

Read the original article on The Robisonian website.

HOKE COUNTY — A man was arrested in Hoke County after he was wanted in a death by distribution case in Robeson County.

DeAngelo Gerald Cobb

The Hoke County Sheriff’s Office announced that on Tuesday members of the Narcotic/Vice Suppression Unit (NVSU), Robeson County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Apprehension Team served an arrest warrant on DeAngelo Gerald Cobb at his residence in the 1800 block of Balfour Road, just north of the Robeson County line outside of Red Springs.

Cobb was wanted out of Robeson County for an arrest warrant in reference to a death by distribution case.

While doing a safety sweep of the home, law enforcement observed marijuana, suspected psilocybin mushrooms, and firearms in plain view. The residence was seized and detectives with the NVSU obtained a narcotic search warrant.

Devin Shytel Southerland-Clark

While serving the search warrant, approximately 4 1/2 pounds of marijuana were found in various rooms throughout the house. Detectives also located four firearms, THC resin, bulk US currency, suspected methamphetamine, packaging materials, and other items of marijuana paraphernalia.

Cobb was transported by Robeson County detectives for the service of their arrest warrant prior to the search being completed.

Detectives with the NVSU swore out additional warrants for Cobb for four counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver marijuana, possession of a Schedule-I controlled substance, maintaining a vehicle/dwelling for the sell/delivery of a controlled substance, and possession of marijuana paraphernalia.

Wednesday, the arrest warrants from Hoke County Sheriff’s Office for DeAngelo Cobb were served in Robeson County. Cobb was given a $100,000.00 secured bond for the Hoke County charges and remained in the Robeson County Jail.

After the search, Virginia Carol Clark, Devin Shytel Southerland-Clark, Jacoby Anthony, Ryan McKoy, and Miah Sade Mitchell were placed under arrest by Hoke County Sheriff’s Office and transported to the Hoke County Detention Center.

Clark, Southerland-Clark, McKoy, and Mitchell were all charged at the Hoke County Detention Center with possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver marijuana, possession of a schedule I controlled substance, maintain a vehicle/dwelling for the sell/delivery of a controlled substance, and possession of marijuana paraphernalia.

Each received a $20,000 secured bond and a first appearance court date.

The Hoke County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the US Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force and Robeson County Sheriff’s Office. The investigation is still ongoing.

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