Clintonville man arressted after friend’s fetanyl overdose
Russell J. Dankert, 32, Clintonville, is charged with possession of narcotics with intent to deliver, first-degree reckless endangerment, obstructing an officer and felony bail jumping.
On Dec. 30, 2023, Clintonville police responded to a 911 hangup call on North Park Street.
When Sgt. Andrew Kizewski arrived at the scene, he found a woman whose face and mouth appeared pale and swollen.
According to the criminal complaint, the woman said she needed Narcan and was going to die.
Kizewski want to his vehicle, called dispatch and requested an ambulance. When he returned to the house, he gave the woman a dose of Narcan nasal spray.
Kizewski reported the woman was pale, trembling, drooling and had difficulty speaking.
She told the ambulance crew that she had smoked fentanyl.
EMTs transported her to ThedaCare Medical Center in Shawano.
While Kizewski obtained a search warrant, Officer Brett Price remained at the house to ensure the safety of the woman’s two children.
Officers found several charred pieces of aluminum foil.
An examination of the victim’s cellphone uncovered several text messages that allegedly referred to a drug deal. Police believed the phone number the woman was messaging belonged to Dankert.
On Jan. 5, Price pulled over a car that Dankert was driving.
A K-9 unit that was deployed to the scene of the traffic stop alerted to the odor of narcotics in the vehicle, the complaint says.
While Kizewski was at the scene, he used his department-issued cell phone to call the number that the overdose victim had been messaging.
A phone in Dankert’s pocket began ringing. Dankert silenced his phone.
Kizewski called the number again and a phone in Dankert’s pocket rang again.
When questioned by police, Dankert denied providing fentanyl to the victim.
The woman later told police that Dankert had come to her late father’s house where she lived. They both went into the garage where Dankert allegedly placed a purple substance in a piece of aluminum foil and smoked it. He told the woman the substance was fentanyl, the complaint says.
The woman said she only took one hit.
Dankert left the house and the woman began feeling ill. She took a dose of Narcan, then began calling several people when it didn’t seem to work.
When she was unable to contact anybody who could help her, the woman called 911.
Dankert was released from custody after posting a $3,000 cash bond.