LAWRENCE, Mass.—A disturbing video shows a toddler crying and tugging at her mother after she apparently passed out from a drug overdose and collapsed to the floor of a Massachusetts dollar store.
Authorities in Lawrence say the Department of Children and Families took the 2-year-old girl into custody after Sunday’s incident.
Police released the video on Wednesday. The video shows the mother sprawled in an aisle of a Family Dollar store and her daughter desperately trying to wake her up.
Lawrence police Chief James Fitzpatrick calls the incident a “heartbreaking” example of how drug addiction affects families.
“Heartbreaking” video shows mom in apparent overdose at store as 2-year-old child tugs her sleeve: https://t.co/BLvzg5ePJo pic.twitter.com/L5I3Ddaj5l
— NBC10 Philadelphia (@NBCPhiladelphia) September 22, 2016
Shocking video shows toddler trying to wake up mom after apparent overdose https://t.co/0nYzdT4Qpf pic.twitter.com/LJZSTjmG3c
— Toronto Sun (@TheTorontoSun) September 23, 2016
Fitzpatrick says the mother will be charged with child endangerment. He says officers found residue and paraphernalia consistent with fentanyl (FEHN’-tuh-nihl) or heroin use in her handbag.
“It’s very disturbing to see someone like this. It’s obvious addiction has overtaken them, to the point of not being able to care for their child,” said Fitzpatrick, CBS Local reported. “People who are thinking about or dealing with addiction issues, think what it’s like to have this type of narcotic in your system and what it does to you,” he added.
Epoch Times contributed to this report.
