An on-duty New Jersey police officer who was behind the wheel of his patrol car when he was found overdosed on heroin in April has lost his job, authorities said Friday.
Matthew Ellery, a on-duty police officer, overdosed on heroin inside his police vehicle and nearly died from an overdose in New Jersey.Somerset County Prosecutor's Office
Matthew D. Ellery, 29, of Middlesex, was sworn in as a police officer with the Franklin Township Police Department in August 2016, according to Lt. Philip Rizzo, a department spokesman. Ellery was assigned to the patrol division.
Shortly after 1 a.m. on April 7, Ellery was working when dispatch attempted to reach him via police radio, according to the Somerset County Prosecutorās Office. After he failed to respond, an officer went looking for him at his last known location and found him unresponsive in the driver's seat of his patrol car that was parked in the driveway of a business.
The responding officer, who is also an emergency medical technician, determined that Ellery was experiencing an opiate overdose and gave him two doses of Naloxone, a medication commonly referred to as Narcan that reverses opioid overdoses.
Ellery pleaded guilty in superior court Friday to possession of heroin and driving while intoxicated.
As part of his plea deal, Ellery will forfeit his job as a police officer. He will also lose his driver's license for seven months.
New Jersey cop who overdosed on heroin in patrol car while on duty loses job
