Monitor Editor
STARKE— A 37-year-old Brooker man was arrested after his girlfriend died from an apparent drug overdose.
Dempsey Robert Sapp III was arrested on two counts of child neglect.
According to an arrest report, Sapp told deputies he arrived home from a night out around 2 a.m. on Monday, April 4 to discover 25-year-old Tanna Young unresponsive lying on a bed.
“Dempsey stated that he immediately identified the signs as being from a drug overdose and picked Tanna up, dragging her into the kitchen where he administered Narcan—used to aid with the recitation of opioid overdoses,” wrote arresting officer Cody Wells. “Dempsey then claimed that he dragged Tanna back into the master bedroom where she was still unresponsive.”
Wells added that Sapp called 911 at 4:01 stating that Young was unresponsive and that he could not find a pulse.
“Dempsey then stated that he didn’t need medical attention and that he was going to see if things improved since he had just administered the Narcan,” wrote Wells.
The deputy wrote that later, Sapp called 911 a second time, telling a dispatcher that Young’s condition had worsened, that her lips were white, she appeared not to be breathing, he could not locate a pulse and that she was stiff and cold to the touch.
When Bradford Fire Rescue arrived at the home, they pronounced the woman dead.
Wells wrote that during an interview at the sheriff’s office, Sapp initially claimed he and Young had not taken any illegal narcotics recently.
“Later in the interview, Dempsey stated that the couple ‘may’ have done a little crystal methamphetamine and stated that the last time they did was on a Friday night while both of the couple’s children were present at the residence,” wrote Wells. “Further questioning revealed that Dempsey and a friend had used Fentanyl on Sunday night-Monday morning and that there was a possibility that Tanna got a hold of some due to (the friend) having left the Fentanyl in Dempsey’s vehicle.”
Wells added that since the couple took illegal narcotics while the children were present Friday night, he had probable cause to arrest Sapp for child neglect.
