When a deputy overdosed from fentanyl in the bathroom of the sheriff's office, it was initially believed to be an accidental exposure, but a subsequent investigation has revealed otherwise.
Deputy Marvin Morales was found unresponsive in a restroom at the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office Central Division station on October 24, 2023. His colleagues saved his life with the administration of Narcan, suspecting unintentional exposure to fentanyl.
An Internal Affairs investigation reviewed by FOX40 found that Morales had seized what he believed to be methamphetamine and a glass pipe during a stop, then intentionally consumed the substance—later confirmed to be fentanyl—inside the sheriff's office.
"It is a horrible embarrassment across the law enforcement community. Our individual actions are not individual. They affect us not just as an organization but they affect us as an entire occupation, as we've seen in previous history," said a colleague whose name was redacted from the investigative report. "I can never trust him as to when he makes any contact, finds narcotics, finds money, finds anything."
Sheriff's Office spokesperson Amar Gandhi addressed the length of the investigation, emphasizing that the case was handled with due process. "Every employee, like every citizen, is entitled to due process. We are committed to getting it right."
Morales claimed the incident was a suicide attempt, citing a battle with depression, though a drug test revealed the deputy was a "chronic user."
He attempted to resign but was ultimately fired in February 2024 by Sheriff Jim Cooper. He has since been decertified by California POST, barring him from working as a law enforcement officer anywhere in the state.
Originally published on Latin Times
