Knoxville, TN (WOKI/WVLT) A brief police chase in Knoxville Monday ends with the arrest of two men and the seizure of enough fentanyl to kill thousands of people.
Knoxville Police Department officials report a chase ensued around 7:30 p.m. at Magnolia Avenue and Milligan Street after a van traveling erratically on the roadway attempted to evade police intervention.
Police arrested the driver of the van, Marshall Alderson and his passenger, DeAngelo Brown, who attempted to flee on foot.
KPD officials say officers searching the van found a backpack with 50 grams of a white powder they suspected to be fentanyl.
Our news partner WVLT, citing data from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, reports that fentanyl is an opioid about 100 times more potent than morphine.
WVLT reports “the DEA claims that just two milligrams of fentanyl can kill a person, depending on size and weight, when used incorrectly. Based on that math, the fentanyl found in the backpack could kill 25,000 people.”
Alderson is facing aggravated assault, drug and evading arrest charges. He was also found to be a felon out of Michigan. Brown is facing weapons, drug and evading charges.
