A two year old in Beckley had to be given four doses of Narcan to reverse the effects of an overdose after accidentally ingesting drugs at his home.
Members of the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department and the Beckley Police Department responded to a call on April 27 regarding an unresponsive child, according to the criminal complaint.
Upon arrival, officers found the child being held by Michael Rodney Henry, 50, and his girlfriend Ciara Christine Cole, 23.
The child, who needed immediate medical attention, was taken to Beckley Appalachian Regional Hospital by Raleigh County Sheriff’s Deputy H. L. Harvey, where the Narcan was administered.
“Medical staff informed officers that [the child] had stopped breathing several times, but became lucid once the Narcan was administered,” the complaint states.
Officers interviewed Cole, who stated that she heard the child make an unusual sound and witnessed the child on the couch with Henry, the complaint alleges. She further told officers that she and Henry both used heroin, but she was unsure how the child would have ingested it.
Henry denied that he was a heroin user, but officers noted that he “appeared very lethargic during the interview, and when not actively engaged in conversation, he would fall asleep,” according to the complaint.
After securing a warrant, officers found syringes and straws inside the home that were consistent with drug use.
Officers also found a loaded .40 caliber Ruger handgun. Henry, who had been convicted for felony distribution of cocaine in 2012, should not have been in possession of a gun.
A drug recognition expert conducted an exam of Henry and found him to be under the influence of heroin.
Henry was arrested and taken to Southern Regional Jail on one felony charge of child neglect resulting in injury and one felony charge of being a felon in possession of a deadly weapon. A cash/surety bond has been set at $100,000.
Cole was arrested and taken to Southern Regional Jail on one felony charge of child neglect resulting in injury. Bail has been set at $75,000.
Deputy H.L. Harvey was recognized by the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department in a social media post for saving the life of the young child.
“Every day Deputies with the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, like their peers from other law enforcement agencies, serve their communities with pride and distinction, frequently going above and beyond what is expected,” the post states. “For the most part, heroic actions go unnoticed, with only tragedies and controversy garnering attention. The Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office would like to take an opportunity to recognize the actions of Deputy H.L. Harvey during the morning hours of April 27, 2021.”
The post continues that “Deputy Harvey was checking the dispatch logs on his computer when he noticed a pending call of a 2 year old male unresponsive and gasping. As the call had not been dispatched to EMS and Deputy Harvey was in the area, he notified the Emergency Operations Center that he was responding to the residence and would transport the child to the hospital as he would have a much faster response time at that point. Deputy Harvey did respond, picked up the child, and transported him to a nearby hospital. The hospital staff was able to perform additional lifesaving measures and save the child.”
