Crime & Safety

Heroin Overdose Leads to Whitefish Bay Drug Bust

A 19-year-old Whitefish Bay man and a 20-year-old West Allis man have each been charged with possession of narcotics.

A 19-year-old Whitefish Bay man who overdosed on heroin and his friend who fled the scene with heroin and paraphernalia are both facing charges in connection with the incident.

Patrick Kottke, 19, of Whitefish Bay and Aaron Schultz, 20, of West Allis have each been charged with one count of possessing narcotic drugs. Kottke has been charged with possessing oxycodone, and Schultz has been charged with posssessing heroin. If convicted, each man faces a maximum sentence of $10,000 in fines and 3 1/2 years in prison.

Whitefish Bay police responded to the 800 block of Glen Avenue at 5:44 p.m. Friday to assist Kottke, who had overdosed on heroin, according to a criminal complaint filed in Milwaukee County Courthouse. Kottke had been doing heroin at his parents' house with Schultz, who fled the scene after calling 911.

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Schultz told police that he and Kottke did a hit of heroin at a dealer's house, then drove to pick up new needles and pick up another friend, the complaint said. Once they arrived at Kottke's house on Glen Avenue, Kottke did more heroin and the three men smoked marijuana.

Kottke later told police that Schultz prepared the heroin and "shot" him up with heroin because he could not locate his own veins. Kottke stated that he had picked out a large chunk of the heroin asking Schultz for a "little more" as he did not want to "wake up" after taking the hit. After taking a hit, Kottke laid back in his bed and his eyes began to roll back. Schultz started calling friends to see if anyone had Narcan – an opiate antidote – but was not able to find anyone, according to the complaint.

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After calling 911, Schultz ran southbround through yards on Glen Avenue and Lake Forest Avenue. A firefighter ran after him and caught him in the 800 block of Lake Forest Avenue. After a struggle, firefighters and police officers were able to place him in custody.

When searching Schultz, officers found a brown paper bag containing eight hypodermic needles, 16 alcohol wipes, a blue rubber tourniquet, a cell phone, a digital scale and a used hypodermic needle containing a small amount of brown liquid, the complaint said. In his pocket, officers found a small amount of heroin folded up in a piece of paper.

Kottke, meanwhile, was unconscious on his bed, but became alert after North Shore Fire Department paramedics administered Narcan. Kottke was transported to St. Mary’s Hospital in Milwaukee for treatment.

NSFD also found a 500 mg Oxycodone pill next to Kottke on the bed. Kottke told police the pill did not belong to him, although he admitted to illegally obtaining the drug in the past.

After a fatal overdose in Ozaukee County earlier this month, Ozaukee County Sheriff's Lt. Rodney Galbraith and supervisor of the drug task force said that drug use in southeastern Wisconsin is at an all time high.

"I don't think there's any question in my mind from the amount of information that I review during my course of duties of supervising our (drug task force) that the use of heroin and the potential for heroin overdose deaths is the worst I’ve ever seen it," he said.

Kottke will appear in court at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 17 for a preliminary hearing; Schultz is scheduled to appear at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 14 for his preliminary hearing.


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