GRPD eyes whether ‘tainted’ heroin batch to blame for overdoses

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Grand Rapids police are investigating after five people are suspected to have overdosed in Heartside Park over the last day.

In a social media post around 3:15 p.m. Tuesday, the Grand Rapids Police Department said five non-fatal overdoses happened at Heartside Park over the previous 24 hours.

“It’s *possible* a tainted batch of heroin is the cause,” GRPD wrote in the post.

Lisa Gholson was at Heartside Park Monday afternoon when she noticed something was wrong.

“I was just walking through the park and I noticed a guy slumped over and so I went up to feel for a pulse and I could not feel any pulse,” described Gholson. “There were two other people around him that were passed out and looked like … they needed some help as well.”

Gholson said she flagged down a police officer who was coming around the corner. The officer called an ambulance.

“It was very scary. I don’t know how long he was there but there were a lot of people around him. I’m surprised no one else called for help,” Gholson said.

GRPD linked to the Grand Rapids Red Project in their post, which provides kits of opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone , also knowns as Narcan.

“I have no Narcan, which I’m hoping that the police officers start carrying that on them, and I’m hoping that I saved a life today,” she added.

Free drug checks are offered at Red Project’s outreach space at 1168 Madison Avenue SE Monday through Friday from noon to 4 p.m. In April, Cherry Health added two new Narcan vending machines at Southside Health Center and Westside Health Center in Grand Rapids.

Police advise contacting 211 for more resources.

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