Days after Narcan training, St. Paul police officer saves woman suffering overdose

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) - A St. Paul police officer saved a woman's life after he'd just been trained on how to use Narcan. 

At the beginning of December, the department began equipping all their officers with the medication most commonly known as Narcan. Already, officers have had to use it six times.

Saint Paul Police Officer John Conrad was on his regular patrol route Tuesday when he noticed a car swerving and nearly hitting parked cars right near Kellogg Boulevard and Broadway Street.

“I could see the driver reaching back behind her—not paying attention to the roadway—looked like she was hitting or pushing someone in the backseat,” said Officer Conrad.

The driver was trying to help her friend who was in the backseat turning blue.

“I could see her eyes and see her pupils were constricted which is a sign of heroin overdose or opioid overdose,” said Officer Conrad.

Officer Conrad says at one point the woman had no pulse. After he called paramedics, he knew what he had to do next.

“We decided to use the Narcan, which I was just trained in—I had it in my pocket—I pulled it out and administered it,” he said.

Trained just days before, it was his first time administering the drug that reverses effects of opioid overdose immediately.

“Kind of nervous—not knowing if I’m doing it right or if this is the right time to use it,” he said.

For about six weeks now Saint Paul police have been carrying the nasal Narcan spray in their pockets. Officer Conrad says it's just another life-saving tool at their disposal.

“You can actually do something to help the person and it was cool actually watching it work,” said Officer Conrad.

The woman is expected to be ok.