Chief: Hubbard Township officer contaminated by white powder while searching car

Staff report

HUBBARD

A Hubbard Township police officer had to administer naloxone to himself after coming into contact with a “white powder” while searching a woman’s car, police said.

Officers responded to a call about a possible overdose at 10:50 p.m. Friday at Love’s Travel Stop gas station on North Main Street. The officers discovered Sabrina Maxwell, 39, of Oil City, Pa., unconscious behind the wheel, police said.

After Chris Gifford administered two doses of naloxone to Maxwell, she was taken to Sharon Regional Medical Center for treatment.

Gifford then searched her car before having it towed. When he checked under the driver’s seat, he found a metal spoon that contained a white powder, along with a used hypodermic syringe in the center console.

Although he was wearing gloves, police said Gifford’s hands and face became numb, he started shaking uncontrollably and became nauseous and dizzy, and his breathing was labored.

Police Chief Todd Coonce said he may have inhaled the substance.

When Gifford administered two doses of naloxone on himself, the symptoms stopped, police said.

The white powder was sent to the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation lab for testing.

A gas station employee called police when Maxwell returned almost two hours later, and she was arrested for assault on a peace officer, possessing drug instruments and drug paraphernalia.

Bond was set at $10,000 on Monday morning for Maxwell. She is in the Trumbull County jail.

Coonce said the powder is suspected to be a narcotic. He said the assault charge was included because the woman was responsible for the substance that harmed the officer.

Four Campbell officers experienced the same symptoms last week after coming into contact with a white powder.

Gifford has recovered, Coonce said. He was not hospitalized, and was able to return to work that night.