Kirkersville Police Chief James Hughes Jr. has passed away after reportedly overdosing from fentanyl, according to NBC 4 Columbus. These drugs came from the police force’s evidence room. Huges Jr was found dead at his Reynoldsburg, Ohio home.
Reynoldsburg Police Department Lt. Ron Wright said an investigation into the death is ongoing and that the drugs in the evidence room that were used by Hughes Jr were from previous cases.
The Franklin County Coroner’s Office concluded based on an autopsy that the death was in fact an “acute intoxication by fentanyl.”
Two syringes were found at the scene of Hughes’ death. One had no drugs in it and the other was found to have had fentanyl. A sandwich was also present that had cocaine in it.
Wright revealed that there is a huge heroin epidemic issue in Ohio right now. He also added that the case will be closed in two weeks in Reynoldsburg and will be taken to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. Hughes Jr was 35 at the time of his death.