Two Spokane officers given Narcan after being exposed to unknown substance on welfare call

Two Spokane police officers who became disoriented and started sweating profusely may have been exposed to airborne opioids after approaching people who appeared to have already overdosed on drugs, officers said.

At 12:18 p.m., the two officers responded to a call on the 4000 block of W. Fort George Wright Drive that two people were slumped over in a car and might have been affected by drugs, according to a Spokane Police Department news release.

Within minutes of arriving, the officers requested medics and said they were dealing with a possible overdose. During the investigation, the officers found an unknown substance in the pocket of one of the ill people, the release said.

It seemed that during the investigation, officers were exposed to the substance via airborne particles, the release said.

They had symptoms of disorientation, paleness and extreme sweating, officers said.

One of the officers was able to give himself Narcan, an antidote for opioid overdoses, while the other officer was given Narcan a short time later as a precaution. Both were transported to the hospital. They are doing well, the release said.

Both suspects were also transported to the hospital. One of the suspects has a felony warrant out of Idaho. The investigation is ongoing and more charges may be pending, according to the release.