Unbreakable
Bluelighter
A violent assault that left two Toronto police officers with broken bones, along with a startling arrest of a naked man slamming his face into a fence in Calgary, suggests that “bath salts,” which some experts say is the most dangerous street drug they’ve ever seen, has made its way to Canada’s cities.
“Bath salts,” a synthetic drug that often results in a chaotic, violent reaction from the user, are suspected to be behind the horrific naked face-eating attack in Miami that left a homeless man nearly dead.
Police and hospital officials in the Maritimes warned that the drug has made its way to their shores earlier this spring, but the drug had not been reported to be seen in Canada’s major cities until the last week.
Two Toronto officers were sent to hospital after they were injured while trying to arrest a “raging” man at an Etobicoke apartment building Sunday. He is suspected to have been under the influence of the drug, although that has not yet been confirmed.
“They sustained several broken bones in the face, nose, hand and wrist,” Const. Wendy Drummond said. Both officers have been treated and released.
Toronto police also announced a massive drug bust on Sunday that netted $1.5 million in drugs, $175,000 in cash and numerous weapons. A quantity of drugs were marked as “bath salts” — they are often sold in a way that makes them look innocuous — and police have sent those drugs off for testing.
REUTERS/Jackson Memorial Hospital/Handout
Undated handout photo released by the Jackson Memorial Hospital on June 12, 2012 shows patient Ronald Poppo.
Meanwhile, Calgary police are dealing with two separate incidents in which they arrested men exhibited strange and violent behaviour.
In the second incident, it took seven police officers to contain a half-naked man who was found slamming his face up against a fence.
“We got a report of a person who was half-naked and had significant injuries to their face and nose area, so there was lots of blood,” Staff Sgt. Geoff Gawlinski said in a telephone interview. “This male was difficult to apprehend and take into custody safely.”
The man was taken into hospital but because he was not charged with any crimes, police did not take his personal information or take a toxicology report.
Gawlinski said while police cannot say if he was on any drugs, “certainly, his behaviour was consistent with someone who could be.”
He did say that mental health issues may have played a role.
Calgary police did warn the public about the dangers of taking illegal drugs, particularly because a user may not know what they are taking.
Gawlinski said Calgary police have yet to make any drug busts involving “bath salts” but are communicating with other agencies.
They have been numerous reports of disturbing self-mutilation incidents involving “bath salts” users.
A Mississippi man skinned himself alive while on the drug, Spin reports. In New Jersey, a man stabbed himself multiple times and threw his own intestines at police officers, in another “bath salts” related incident.
“Bath salts” are made with the active agent of either Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), mephedrone or methylone. Ottawa recently moved to make MDPV a controlled substance, effectively making it illegal.
‘This is the first drug which really has me concerned’
Source:
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/0...t-assault-on-toronto-cops-arrests-in-calgary/
“Bath salts,” a synthetic drug that often results in a chaotic, violent reaction from the user, are suspected to be behind the horrific naked face-eating attack in Miami that left a homeless man nearly dead.
Police and hospital officials in the Maritimes warned that the drug has made its way to their shores earlier this spring, but the drug had not been reported to be seen in Canada’s major cities until the last week.
Two Toronto officers were sent to hospital after they were injured while trying to arrest a “raging” man at an Etobicoke apartment building Sunday. He is suspected to have been under the influence of the drug, although that has not yet been confirmed.
“They sustained several broken bones in the face, nose, hand and wrist,” Const. Wendy Drummond said. Both officers have been treated and released.
Toronto police also announced a massive drug bust on Sunday that netted $1.5 million in drugs, $175,000 in cash and numerous weapons. A quantity of drugs were marked as “bath salts” — they are often sold in a way that makes them look innocuous — and police have sent those drugs off for testing.
REUTERS/Jackson Memorial Hospital/Handout
Undated handout photo released by the Jackson Memorial Hospital on June 12, 2012 shows patient Ronald Poppo.
Meanwhile, Calgary police are dealing with two separate incidents in which they arrested men exhibited strange and violent behaviour.
In the second incident, it took seven police officers to contain a half-naked man who was found slamming his face up against a fence.
“We got a report of a person who was half-naked and had significant injuries to their face and nose area, so there was lots of blood,” Staff Sgt. Geoff Gawlinski said in a telephone interview. “This male was difficult to apprehend and take into custody safely.”
The man was taken into hospital but because he was not charged with any crimes, police did not take his personal information or take a toxicology report.
Gawlinski said while police cannot say if he was on any drugs, “certainly, his behaviour was consistent with someone who could be.”
He did say that mental health issues may have played a role.
Calgary police did warn the public about the dangers of taking illegal drugs, particularly because a user may not know what they are taking.
Gawlinski said Calgary police have yet to make any drug busts involving “bath salts” but are communicating with other agencies.
They have been numerous reports of disturbing self-mutilation incidents involving “bath salts” users.
A Mississippi man skinned himself alive while on the drug, Spin reports. In New Jersey, a man stabbed himself multiple times and threw his own intestines at police officers, in another “bath salts” related incident.
“Bath salts” are made with the active agent of either Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), mephedrone or methylone. Ottawa recently moved to make MDPV a controlled substance, effectively making it illegal.
‘This is the first drug which really has me concerned’
Source:
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/0...t-assault-on-toronto-cops-arrests-in-calgary/
