Deputies and Medical Staff Act Quickly to Revive Her 

Buffalo, NY – Erie County Sheriff Timothy B. Howard reports an inmate apparently overdosed while remanded to the Erie County Holding Center. 

On May 12 at approximately 10:25 P.M., Deputies discovered a female inmate unresponsive in her housing unit; she was not breathing, and Deputies could not detect a pulse.  They immediately initiated Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and called for medical professionals from the Division of Correctional Health.   

Medical professionals arrived, administered three doses of nasal Narcan, and deployed an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED).  The patient was revived, and at 10:56 P.M., she was transported to Buffalo General Medical Center. 

The NYS Commission of Corrections has been advised and updated to with the information the Sheriff’s Office has gathered, and the office is continuing to investigate the origins of the contraband. 

“It is one of our highest priorities to make sure that drugs and other contraband don’t get smuggled into the jails,” Sheriff Howard said.  “Deputies and medical staff acted quickly and heroically to save her life and I want to commend their actions.  But individuals who are gripped by addiction use very creative ways to bring drugs in with them, and it’s a battle we face every day.” 

Additional Information:

• Custody of the inmate was transferred from the Amherst police on May 11.
• Deputies searched her when she was admitted into the facility.
• In September 2018, Deputies discovered a female inmate smuggled narcotics and needles in her vagina cavity.
• The Sheriff’s Office is has been meeting with vendors of full-body scanners since the passage of a new law which allows these devices in jail and prison settings.
• Due to HIPPA regulations, the Sheriff’s Office is not releasing the individual’s name. 

The Sheriff’s Office is investigating the origins of the contraband and the incident.