San Diego sheriff says he diagnosed video overdose, not doctor

San Diego County Sheriff's Department via AP

In this image taken from police body camera video and provided by the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, San Diego County Sheriff's Deputy David Faiivae gets aid from an officer, after being exposed to fentanyl on July 3, 2021, in San Diego. A public safety video that told viewers the deputy had a near-death experience after being exposed to fentanyl used the actual footage, the San Diego Sheriff's department said Monday, Aug. 9, 2021, after critics questioned the deputy's severe reaction. The video shows "an actual incident involving the deputy as he processed a white powdery substance that tested positive for Fentanyl," a department news release said.

By: Associated Press

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SAN DIEGO (AP) — San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore has acknowledged that he, not a doctor, concluded a deputy overdosed from fentanyl exposure while searching a vehicle for drugs.

Gore has faced withering criticism over last week's release of body-worn camera footage that shows the deputy falling to the ground and struggling to breathe after coming within about 6 inches of the drug.

Health experts say fentanyl is extremely dangerous, but inhaling a small amount doesn't lead to an overdose. They suspect the deputy essentially passed out due to fear.

Gore tells The San Diego Union-Tribune he's shocked by the backlash to a video meant to inform the public about the drug's dangers.