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The officer noticed a vehicle with a canceled registration was stopped on Webb Brook Road around 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 19, Billerica Police Chief Roy Frost reports.
The officer also learned that the driver, identified as 65-year-old Charles Lang, had a suspended license. As the officer approached Lang's car, they saw him trying to destroy a small bag containing a powdery substance, which was later determined to be fentanyl, according to Frost.
A struggle resulted in the bag getting torn open and the substance becoming airborne, smeared across Lang's hands and part of his vehicle. The officer would eventually pass out and get taken to the hospital after placing Lang into custody. The officer was later released, according to Frost.
“This incident illustrates the danger posed by even a small amount of fentanyl that became airborne,” Frost said. “This incident highlights the potency of fentanyl and the dangers that are faced by officers if this substance becomes airborne.”
Lang was charged with the following:
- Withholding Evidence From a Criminal Proceeding
- Possession of a Class A Substance
- Possession of a Class E Substance
- Operating with a Suspended License
- Attaching Plates
- Operating an Unregistered Motor Vehicle
- Operating an Uninsured Motor Vehicle
Lang was arraigned Thursday in Lowell District Court, Frost concluded.
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