Police: New Kensington man became unresponsive after swallowing heroin during arrest

A New Kensington man became unresponsive earlier this month after police said he tried to swallow a bag of heroin while being arrested and the bag broke open.

Stacey O’Neal Jr., 31, faces a handful of felony charges, including possession with intent to deliver drugs and two counts each of aggravated assault and child endangerment, along with a handful of lesser charges. He was released after posting $2,000 bail.

Frazer police said they were dispatched to Walmart at the Pittsburgh Mills mall complex on March 6 for a reported theft involving O’Neal, according to a criminal complaint filed in the case. Police said responding officers searched O’Neal and found heroin in one of his pockets.

Police said O’Neal managed to grab the bag of heroin, which officers had placed on a table, and then he ran — putting the bag in his mouth as he fled.

The complaint said O’Neal fought with officers and resisted arrest. He also refused orders to spit out the bag of heroin, and police said they were unable to remove it. That’s when police said O’Neal began convulsing and sweating.

His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he became unresponsive.

The complaint said an officer ran to his patrol car to retrieve the anti-overdose drug Narcan. O’Neal remained unresponsive after receiving a first dose of Narcan, but officers said they managed to remove the bag of heroin.

The complaint said an officer observed that “the bag of heroin had been broken open, and some stamp bags appeared to be missing.”

O’Neal became responsive after receiving a second dose of Narcan and he was taken to Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison.

Police said they found O’Neal in possession of 71 stamp bags of heroin, Buprenorphine and naloxone sublingual film, and $220 in cash. Police said he also tried to steal $269.85 worth of merchandise from Walmart by under-ringing items at self-checkout.

A young child was with O’Neal at the time of the incident, police said.

Online court records did not list an attorney for O’Neal.