The swift action of Ellis County Sheriff’s deputy Demond Davis that saved a life was honored by the Ellis County Commissioners Court on Feb. 22.
On Jan. 26, Davis responded to an overdose call at the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office Training Facility parking lot on Farm-to-Market Road 878. Witnesses told deputies the person in distress had taken ecstasy and oxycodone; he was driven to the LEC for assistance due to his condition.
“When I got there on the scene the guy was gasping for breath,” Davis told the Sun. “I was thinking that if I don’t act or use the tools that they gave us then this person would probably die because he was getting worse and worse.
“I was given some Narcan when I first got here to Ellis County, so, I just used the Narcan,” he said.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Naloxone nasal spray, also known under its brand name Narcan, is used for emergency treatment of opioid overdose or possible overdoes. It will temporarily reverse the effects of opioid medications. Signs and symptoms of an opioid emergency include breathing problems, which can range from slow or shallow breathing to no breathing at all. Other symptoms include extreme sleepiness, slow heartbeat or not being able to respond. The person’s eyes may show very small pupils.
Davis administered the nasal spray and said the person became immediately responsive and started talking with him. From the time Davis got the call and gave the nasal spray, to the person becoming responsive, less than eight minutes had passed.
“When I gave him the shot of the nasal spray, I turned him over and I was talking to him,” Davis said. “I was like, ‘Man, you have got to stop this. He immediately started coming to and the first words that I heard was ‘thank you.’ ”
Davis said he was informed later by his sergeant, who followed up with hospital staff at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Waxahachie, that his actions saved this person’s life. When Davis heard that news, he said he had a “wow” moment.
Davis said he was glad he was able to aid the person but feels anyone wearing a uniform would have done the same thing if they’d been in his position. He believes having tools such as Narcan available is critical.
“It is an important resource to have because we come across a lot of people in the county on our normal day out in the world,” Davis said. “The more tools that you have in the toolbox, the more you can save someone’s life and probably change it.”
At the commissioners court meeting, Sheriff Brad Norman presented Davis with the Life-Saving Award commendation and a pin he can wear on his uniform signifying this honor.
“I commend Deputy Davis for his actions,” Norman said. “He is a fairly new deputy. We got him from Dallas ISD Police Department, and he has been a tremendous asset. We plan on hiring more like him.”
Norman said the sheriff’s office is in the process of updating its Narcan program.
“Our goal will be for every deputy to have Narcan in their possession and have a training session on when and how to use it,” Norman said. “It saved this person’s life. I think that it is a great tool for us, from a first responders’ role, to be able to help save lives.”
