Possible overdose deaths fuel police concerns

Emily Pofahl KAALTV

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(ABC 6 News) – Rochester police responded to two possible fatal overdoses Monday night and Tuesday morning, Capt. Casey Moilanen said.

Officers responded to the death of a 34-year-old man in the 1200 block of 1st Street SW at 11:34 p.m., then the death of a 63-year-old man in the 1400 block of 16th Avenue NW at 2 a.m Tuesday, Oct. 25.

Both men showed evidence of possible heroin and fentanyl use.

While the department is waiting for official autopsy and toxicology reports, the drug paraphernalia found near the two corpses, plus the three overdoses reported Friday, make Moilanen concerned that there may be a “bad batch” in Rochester.

"Rainbow fentanyl" pills / Courtesy: Minnesota River Valley Drug Task Force

“Just in case there is a bad batch in town, I want people to know that,” Moilanen said. “So people need to take precautions and not use if they can — and if they do use, make sure they’ve got some Narcan or somebody there to watch them and get them help right away.”

The 34-year-old man was found by his wife, and had no obvious signs of trauma or other causes of death.

Moilanen said the 63-year-old man, who was found by other people in his house, did have several medical conditions that could have contributed or caused his death this morning.