SPOKANE, Wash. — An unknown drug circulating Spokane is expected to be the cause behind a least one death and multiple police phone calls Tuesday, Spokane Police Department officials said.
Police said they received roughly 20 drug-related calls Tuesday of people acting in an "erratic fashion," indicating that there might be a substance in the area creating adverse health effects. Officials said the behavior observed was consistent with a stimulant and caused people to hallucinate, act unpredictable and sometimes act violently.
Police said many of the people Tuesday thought to have taken the unknown drug were walking in the streets and hallucinating. They were seen yelling to random people or objects that were not actually there.
A number of the individuals police came into contact with on Tuesday were eventually transported to the hospital for treatment.
Police said that although it is not possible to state definitively that the incidents were linked to a single drug, the similarities in behavior and the timeframe in which the incidents occurred indicate that it is highly probable that a common drug is responsible.
The Spokane Police Department Drug Unit is attempting to ascertain the source of the drug and the nature of the substance as of Tuesday.
If you witness a person who appears to be hallucinating and acting erratically, officials are requesting that you call 911 or crime check at (509) 456-2233.