Mendocino County Deputy Hospitalized After Fentanyl Exposure At Jail

UKIAH (CBS SF) – A correctional deputy with the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office is recovering after being exposed to fentanyl while a suspect was being booked last week, deputies said.

The sheriff's office said in a statement that 24-year-old Dakota Johnson of Willits was being booked into the Mendocino County Jail after being arrested on multiple arrest warrants around 6 p.m. Friday. Johnson was booked on charges of possession of a controlled substance, false identification to a peace officer and possession of a baton.

When Johnson changed into jail-issued clothes before being placed into a holding cell, suspected drugs fell out of her personal clothes, which was picked up by a deputy.

After recovering the suspected drugs, the deputy left the building and told a sergeant walking with her that she was not feeling well. The deputy then collapsed.

While waiting for an ambulance, jail staff determined the deputy was exposed to an opioid and began administering Naloxone, which rapidly reverses an overdose. The deputy was transported to Adventist Health Ukiah Valley hospital. She was sent home after several hours of treatment.

Preliminary tests determined the substance contained fentanyl, a powerful opioid that is 50-100 times more powerful than morphine, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Exposure can come from breathing it in, by ingesting or even through absorption through the skin.

Following the incident, Johnson is facing an additional charge of bringing in a controlled substance into the jail.

Due to ongoing COVID-19 protocols at the jail, Johnson was released from custody after signing a promise to appear in court.