Saline police concerned by man arrested after inhaling large amounts of fumes
After two incidents involving the same man huffing inhalants earlier this month, Saline police are warning the public to watch out for signs of abuse of the drugs in friends and family.
According to a Saline police report, the same 25-year-old Clinton man was arrested May 19 and May 20 after inhaling a large amount of fumes from an dust remover and compressed air cans. The inhalants left the man passed out in a Mexican restaurant’s bathroom on May 19 and convulsing in the back of a taxi cab on May 20.
The report stated police were called at 3:34 p.m. May 19 to Cancun Mexico Grill, 405 E. Michigan Ave. for a report of a person passed out in the bathroom. According to the report, the Clinton man appeared to be passed out with a can of dust remover in his hand.
The next day, police would get a similar call. Detective Don Lupi called the incidents “disturbing.”
“Watch for friends and family who have these materials around the house and are not using them for legitimate purposes,” Lupi said.
When police found the man in the bathroom of the restaurant, he woke up when police attempted to remove the can of dust remover from his hand. According to the report, “he yelled ‘You cannot have this!’ when officers tried to take it.”
The man was put in handcuffs and taken to the University of Michigan Hospital for treatment. It wouldn’t be his last trip to the hospital.
The man was discharged about noon on May 20 and picked up by a taxi driver for a ride home to Clinton. On the way, they stopped in Saline and the Clinton man instructed the driver to stop at Meijer.
He came back in the cab with a can of compressed air, according to the report. The cab driver witnessed him inhaling the fumes and stopped the vehicle, calling police.
Police responded at 1:02 p.m. May 20 to a Speedway at 134 E. Michigan Ave. They found the man drooling and convulsing in the back seat of the cab. When officers approached him, he refused to give up the can and repeatedly took long inhalations of the fumes, according to the report.
An officer attempted to subdue him by pressing a pressure point, but the man did not appear to feel pain, according to the report. He eventually was subdued when a second officer arrived on scene and got the can away from him.
The man was once again taken to University of Michigan Hospital and the report stated there was concern from medical officials that the incident was a suicide attempt. A warrant will be pursued against the man for assaulting, resisting or obstructing a police officer.
Lupi said people who are high on inhalants often give the impression they are drunk. They also sweat and have slurred speech he said. Items that are commonly used as a drug are hair spray, paint cans, gasoline, glues, dust remover, correction fluid and markers, he said.
Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
Basic Bob
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 1:58 p.m.
fortunately he wasn't driving
music to my ear
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 11:19 a.m.
good lord get that man help
mady
Tue, Jun 4, 2013 : 8:07 p.m.
Second that!
PineyWoodsGuy
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 3:06 a.m.
Can you Imagine? A can of Compressed Ai fer God's sake! It is now (I surmise) a Crime in Saline, Michigan to "huff" Compressed Air! Geeze! A dude can't even attempt to commit suicide without being tagged as a criminal? I ask: Does a person have a Constitutional "Right" to take his own life? Yins Ann Arbor Constitutional lawyers; please tell me!
Michigan Reader
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 11:19 p.m.
I'm not a lawyer at all, much less a constitutional lawyer, but attempted suicide used to be a crime decades ago; it's not now. I'm sure suicide itself was never a crime.
huh7891
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 12:54 p.m.
Get a grip...this person has serious problems. I bet one day he will be thanking those that " saved" his life.
sellers
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 11:40 a.m.
Your comment neglects to take into account the affect on others when this person is doing it in pubic.
smokeblwr
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 12:22 a.m.
Is this what they call "Dusting" or "Cheesing" on the streets? I don't get why people get all wasted on this stuff when booze is readily available and socially acceptable.
music to my ear
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 11:25 a.m.
perhaps the high is different , and he does not like the drag, when coming down for the booze. maybe he started in school, in auto mechanics. those fuels, like starting fuel gets me dizzy and sick. it is time for him to face the demons and get" HELP "
PineyWoodsGuy
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 3:09 a.m.
@fishjamacia. Yer made a Truly Awesome post! Still wondering . . .
fishjamaica
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 12:30 a.m.
Actually "Cheesing" requires the use of a male cat. A full explanation of this phenomenon can be found on South Park Season 12, Episode 3.
Dog Guy
Sun, Jun 2, 2013 : 11:50 p.m.
Not only by mass killings in schools and movie theaters am I reminded that the ACLU and other progressive groups have rid our country of involuntary mental commitment. As James Thurber sagely cautioned, ''Don't count your boobies until they are hatched.''
JimmyD
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 11:03 a.m.
Dog Guy - I agree that the ACLU triggered the problem. But where did all the money spent on those old closed facilities go? Or did the politicians just say "great, shut'em down and lets pocket the cash for our needs" instead of redistributing it to the local communities? Now we use the County Jail for mental illness "treatment".
nickcarraweigh
Sun, Jun 2, 2013 : 11:03 p.m.
This sounds an awful lot like the parrot abuser, who may well be among us again on some limited-supervision release. Detailed updates on his current whereabouts should be made available. Lord knows Saline has enough woes, what with the ammunition shortage and all.
TinyArtist
Mon, Jun 3, 2013 : 11:48 a.m.
Parrots were not on the list at the end of the article, though.
Nicholas Urfe
Sun, Jun 2, 2013 : 9:53 p.m.
"An officer attempted to subdue him by pressing a pressure point, but the man did not appear to feel pain" Note to self: do not rely upon pressure points to induce compliance in apparently chemically numb individuals.
Dawn Farm Education Series
Sun, Jun 2, 2013 : 8:08 p.m.
It is extremely important for anyone approaching a heavily intoxicated inhalant abuser to understand that inhalant abuse can produce a serious risk of disturbances in heart rhythm, including sudden cardiac death, that can be triggered by the person becoming excited or afraid; as well as impulsive, irrational and/or violent behaviors. It is essential to have a calm approach and to try to avoid frightening the person. It is also important for people who want to help an unconscious inhalant abuser to be aware that cloths soaked in inhalable chemicals, bags or balloons or other inhalant paraphernalia that may be near the person can cause risk to others. There is information on inhalant abuse on the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition web site here: http://www.inhalants.org, and specific information on http://www.inhalants.org/SYMPTOMS_for_Law_Enforc_and_Emerg_Meds.pdf
Paul
Sun, Jun 2, 2013 : 7:02 p.m.
Assaulting the police, sounds like the police assaulted him, lol Yeah this dude has major problems with his dumb habit, he needs mental help, not prison time, sadly though we rather just looked them up and forget about them, no matter the cost.