Trending
An inmate at the Belmont County Jail had a close call and is facing new charges after an apparent fentanyl overdose left him hospitalized and endangered the lives of other inmates.
On Aug. 14, David Hancher-Palmer, 35, last known residence listed at 3490 Jefferson County Road 1, Rayland in Belmont County court records, was found in a comatose condition when guards checked his cell. Suspicious material was found nearby, and several other inmates exhibited behavior that indicated drug use. Hancher-Palmer was transported to East Ohio Regional Hospital in Martins Ferry.
"It's about conveyance of drugs into the jail by him," Chief Deputy James Zusack of the Belmont County Sheriff's Office said. "Him and some other inmates used the narcotics, forcing the East Ohio hospital trips. It happened about a week ago. We're seeing that - more people trying to get stuff into our jail because they're addicted to the drugs and some of them will try anything to get the stuff through, but we want to also let people know if they do that, they're going to be charged and there'll be consequences."
He added that the department is confident in jail security.
"We have security already in place, but it's just that sometimes people get by with stuff, nothing's 100 percent," Zusack said. "We've got a good system in place. We've got a body scanner and all kind of stuff that we put them through. It's just sometimes things get by us."
According to Belmont County Western Division Court, Hancher-Palmer is scheduled to appear today for a preliminary hearing, but a time has not been set and the schedule could be subject to change.
A hearing in Northern Division Court will also be scheduled. He originally had been in jail for a probation violation.
Belmont County Assistant Prosecutor Joseph Vavra will be prosecuting the case.
"He's being held in jail, not only on this charge but on other charges in the county. Right now in the Western Court he is charged with what's called illegal conveyance of a drug into a detention facility, it's felony of the third degree, and possession of fentanyl as a felony of the fifth degree," Vavra said. "It's still somewhat under investigation regarding how the drugs got into the jail."
"He got picked up on a probation violation out of Northern Court. That's what he got arrested on, that's what brought him into the jail," Vavra said. "The original crime was ... possession of drug paraphernalia."