Police respond to two fatalities in one day

In what many residents are calling a double tragedy, Long Beach police are investigating the deaths of two men within hours of each other last Sunday, one of which police suspect was due to a drug overdose.

“There were two unrelated deaths of two individuals, both in their early 30s, that causes us great concern,” said Police Commissioner Michael Tangney. “One we believe was induced by drugs, based on physical evidence at the scene, and the other we don’t have a determination, pending a medical examiner’s autopsy and toxicology reports.”

Tangney said that officers responded to a home in the President Streets at 4:30 a.m. on Feb. 16 after receiving a 911 call reporting an unresponsive man. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

At 5 p.m. police responded to another call, this one in the Westholme area, also reporting an unresponsive man, who was also pronounced dead at the scene. Police did not release the victims’ names.

“One had indications that there was drug use, and the other one didn’t — there were no signs of prescription narcotics or illegal drugs at the scene,” Tangney said. He added that though empty packages found at one of the homes indicated heroin use, both incidents remain under investigation, and toxicology reports are not yet available.

“We have lost several young people in the past few years,” Tangney said of the possibility that at least one of the deaths was drug-related. “Our Police Department is taking this issue seriously, and combating it head on with a three-pronged approach that focuses on prevention, redirection and enforcement. In addition to being in contact with police agencies throughout the region to prevent drugs from even getting into the city, the Long Beach Police Department will be partnering up with the Long Beach School District and various community organizations to educate children about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.”