University Police Chief Michael Beckner spoke alongside officers from multiple local, state and federal agencies at the Hammond City Council building on Wednesday afternoon. The conference focused on a case regarding an SLU student’s fentanyl overdose in mid-January.
Hammond Police Department (HPD) Chief Edwin Bergeron Jr. said three individuals – Shyheim Pines, Kawaiishh Brown and Mark Fridge III – were arrested in connection to the student’s overdose.
Pines and Brown were both charged with multiple counts of distribution of schedule I drugs, multiple counts of possession with intent to distribute schedule I and II drugs and multiple counts of firearm possession. Fridge was charged with distribution of heroin and trespassing.
HPD also said they’ll be looking to charge Pine and Brown with attempted murder.
“The new thing we’re stepping up to do is we’re going to charge these criminals selling drugs that make people come close to losing their lives with attempted murder charges,” Bergeron said.
The same student overdosed again on Tuesday, March 26, in the Student Union. The incident led to Fridge’s arrest for trespassing. That evening, HPD conducted search warrants through Pine’s residence in Hammond and Brown’s residence in Ponchatoula, seizing large quantities of suspected drugs and weapons.
Beckner said the student is still alive and left the hospital on Tuesday.
The arrests were made through the fentanyl overdose response team (FORT), a task force comprised of officers from local, state and federal agencies. Beckner and Bergeron are both part of the task force.
They’ll be reclassifying all fentanyl overdoses as “poisonings,” according to a special agent from the Drug Enforcement Agency. He said since fentanyl is often laced into other substances, people don’t realize they’re consuming it.
FORT responds to both fatal and non-fatal fentanyl overdoses. According to Bergeron, the task force will push toward charging people suspected of distributing fentanyl with attempted murder.
“We’re willing to be the pioneers that go after the drug dealers in this way,” Bergeron said.
If you’re dealing with a drug-related or mental health crisis on campus, call UPD at 985-549-2222. The Louisiana crisis lifeline is 988.
