A 53-year-old man has died of an alleged drug overdose after he was arrested on suspicion of trespassing and held in the Greene County Jail, according to a March 15 press release from the Greene County Sheriff's Office.
On March 10, Springfield Police responded to a disturbance call and arrested an unidentified man, according to the press release. The man was later identified by his fingerprints as Darrell Thorne.
Police reported Thorne was combative upon his arrest and police said he appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance.
At 8:25 p.m., the attending nurse at the Greene County Jail determined that Thorne was in distress consistent with a drug overdose and administered Narcan, a naloxone nasal spray used to reverse the affects of an opioid overdose, according to the press release.
Jail staff members began life-saving measures and medics continued to try to revive Thorne during an ambulance transport to a Springfield hospital.
On March 15, the Greene County Medical Examiner notified the sheriff's office that Thorne had died, according to the release. The sheriff's office has requested an autopsy report and the investigation is ongoing.
“Unfortunately, we have seen a significant increase in drug overdoses and fatalities,” Sheriff Jim Arnott wrote in the press release. “I am very concerned about this trend that continues to affect our community.”