What started as a routine shoplifting call at a Walgreens near Midway Boulevard and US-287 quickly turned into a life-or-death emergency, after Broomfield police say one of two men pulled over during a traffic stop swallowed what officers believed was a small bag of fentanyl. Officers used naloxone at the scene, then rushed the man to a local hospital, while a second man was booked into the Broomfield Detention Center on shoplifting charges. Police said they recovered multiple bags of allegedly stolen merchandise and a handwritten list that hinted other stores might also have been on the pair's radar.
In a post on Facebook, the Broomfield Police Department said officers were first called last Saturday to a theft at the Walgreens. They later spotted a sedan that matched witness descriptions in the parking lot of a nearby King Soopers and made a traffic stop on Dillon Road. During that stop, according to the department, one man tried to conceal a small bag in his mouth and then swallowed it. He later began showing signs consistent with an opioid overdose, prompting officers to administer Narcan before having him transported to the hospital. A 56-year-old man was taken to jail on shoplifting charges, the department said.
Quick naloxone response and statewide context
The officers' decision to use naloxone fits into a broader push across Colorado to get the overdose-reversal drug into more hands. Last year, the Colorado Attorney General announced a $3 million grant aimed at supplying naloxone to schools, first responders, and community organizations, with the Attorney General’s Office describing the effort as part of wider overdose-prevention work. Colorado has been hit hard by fentanyl in recent years, with reports pointing to steep increases in fentanyl-related deaths and ongoing debate over how to tackle both trafficking and overdoses. Denver7 recently laid out the scale and economic toll of the crisis.
What officers found and what’s next
Back at the traffic stop, officers said they found several bags of suspected stolen goods inside the vehicle, along with a handwritten list that, according to the department, appeared to track items taken and list additional stores that may have been targeted. Police have not released full identifying details beyond noting the booking of a 56-year-old man on shoplifting allegations. Detectives are still gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses, and investigators will work with the Broomfield County District Attorney’s Office to determine potential charges and next steps, according to the department’s post.
The investigation remains active, and Broomfield police say they plan to update the public as more information comes in. For now, officers are crediting the rapid use of naloxone with preventing what they say could have turned a retail-theft stop into a fatal overdose.
