Man passed out at gas station arrested; contact with fentanyl on man's clothing sends detention officer to hospital
Williston, Florida - On Wednesday, August 25, deputies with the Levy County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to the Olive Drive BP gas station, located at U.S. Hwy. 27 in Williston, Florida, due to the report of a man being passed out behind the wheel of his vehicle at the gas pumps for more than 30 minutes.
Deputies arrived to find Justin Bryce Leggett, 33, of Bell, Florida, still passed out and unresponsive. Entry was made into his vehicle from the passenger door, and deputies were able to awaken Leggett.
After deputies removed Mr. Leggett from his vehicle, an emergency medical services (EMS) unit was summoned to the location to check his vital signs, as deputies suspected that Leggett was suffering from some type of drug-induced condition. Deputies also obtained permission from Mr. Leggett to search his vehicle. During the search, deputies found cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine and marijuana inside the vehicle. EMS personnel determined that Leggett was not suffering from any medical issue, so he was placed under arrest.
Leggett was transported to the Levy County Detention Bureau, charged with possession of cocaine, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, possession of a narcotic without a prescription, possession of drug equipment and possession of marijuana. His bond was set at $111,000.
Levy County Sheriff Bobby McCallum made this comment regarding the aftermath of this arrest in respect to the extremely dangerous and often deadly drug fentanyl, “In this case, Deputy Kilian exercised extreme caution and was able to protect herself from this deadly drug while making this arrest. Unfortunately, a member of our detention staff was poisoned by a mere microscopic amount of this drug from the offender's clothing, which caused him to have a serious reaction requiring him to be transported to a local hospital for treatment. The detention officer is expected to make a full recovery and return to duty soon. The job of a deputy sheriff is inherently dangerous, but the dangers do not end at the time of a person’s arrest. Detention officers face daily dangers as they provide security for those who have been arrested. We ask for your continued prayers for the safety of every officer serving this great community of Levy County.”