3 officers hospitalized for suspected secondary drug exposure after arresting man on narcotics, police say

SUNSET BEACH, N.C. (WECT/Gray News) – Three police officers in North Carolina were hospitalized for suspected secondary drug exposure on Sunday after encountering the same man.

According to the Sunset Beach Police Department, the officers were exposed to narcotics during an arrest.

Police responded to a call for two people reportedly under the influence of drugs. The two people were arrested for felony drug possession, but suddenly, one of the officers began to feel sick.

An ambulance rushed the officer to the hospital for suspected secondary narcotics exposure.

One of the people who was arrested was also taken to the hospital for treatment. Once he was released, a second officer drove the man from the hospital to the jail.

While en route, the officer began to feel sick and called for assistance. That officer was also taken to the hospital via ambulance for suspected secondary drug exposure.

A third officer then picked up the man and brought him to the Brunswick County Detention Center, but after dropping him off, that officer also began to feel sick and was taken to the hospital.

Sunset Beach police said all three officers have been released from the hospital.

Teams in hazmat suits sealed the drugs to be moved. The State Bureau of Investigation will test the drugs to find out what they are.

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