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Police urge state and local action after child fentanyl exposures; council asks staff to return with options
Summary
Spokane Valley police reported two fentanyl exposure incidents involving young children this year, described gaps in existing state laws for fentanyl‑only exposures and urged the council to support state code changes or consider a local ordinance to strengthen charging options.
Spokane Valley Police Chief Dave Ellis and Lieutenant Jared Keene told the City Council on May 6 about two incidents in 2025 in which young children were exposed to fentanyl or mixed drugs, and they urged council support for legislative changes or a local ordinance to strengthen criminal charging options.
Case summaries and legal gap: Lt. Keene described a case in which a 2‑year‑old accessed parental drug paraphernalia that contained methamphetamine and fentanyl; the child received two doses of naloxone (Narcan), was hospitalized and placed in child protective services (CPS) care under emergency authorization. Because methamphetamine was present, investigators could pursue existing controlled‑substance‑endangerment charges. Keene described a second case in which a 3‑year‑old…
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