Prison guards hospitalized after a B.C. inmate sends fentanyl flying into air during cell search for drugs

The Pacific Institution in Abbotsford, B.C., is seen in an image from Google Maps. Photo by Google Maps

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Five prison guards required medical attention — with three taken to hospital — after they were exposed to fentanyl by an inmate during a search of a cell inside a British Columbia prison, according to the prison staff’s union.

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The incident happened on June 11 during a routine targeted search by officers at the Pacific Institution when an inmate allegedly tried to destroy evidence by dispersing a toxic substance that exposed the officers.

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Three of the officers were taken to hospital by ambulance. One officer required chest compressions while in the ambulance; at least three officer required naloxone, an emergency medication used to reduce the effects of opioids, typically used to restore breathing after an opioid overdose, according to the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers (UCCO).

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“They were conducting some searching, which is routine for us, and while searching, they found an inmate in possession of narcotics. The inmate became combative as soon as the officers tried to deal with the situation and basically, it turned into a fight,” said John Randle, the UCCO Pacific region’s president.

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“And in that fight the drugs went everywhere, basically went airborne, it’s almost like throwing flour in the air and it’s just floating in the air. It covered the officers physically and then they also inhaled it.”

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The dark blue anti-stab vests officers wear were coated by white powder, he said.

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One officer was near to passing out, all three involved in the search showed symptoms of overdosing. Two other officers who arrived to help were assessed and treated just in case.

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The inmate had recently arrived at the Pacific Institution and was still in the reception unit at the time, where inmates stay while being assessed for their security classification and prison placement, a process that can take weeks.

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It is unknown what the inmate had been convicted of prior to arriving or how long he had been there.

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“This is near the top end, or on the higher end, of worst-case scenarios,” Randle said of prison staff. “The abundance of dangerous drugs inside our institutions is putting officers’ lives at risk. Our members were simply doing their jobs when they were exposed to one of the most lethal drugs on the streets. This should never happen,” said Randle.

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The substance was later identified as fentanyl, a powerful opioid that can be fatal even in small doses. The drug has been linked to an alarming rise in overdose drug deaths in B.C.

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The union said the incident is not an isolated event and heralds an illicit drug crisis in Canada’s prisons and government cutbacks will make it worse.

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“At the very moment that illicit drugs are becoming more prevalent and violence is increasing, CSC is moving in the opposite direction,” said Frédérick Lebeau, the union’s national president.