NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - The East Liverpool Police Department in Ohio released photos on its Facebook page of a man and woman who appeared to be passed out in a vehicle with a young boy in the backseat.
When officers responded to a report of an incapacitated driver on Wednesday, they found the woman unconscious and the man's speech was unintelligible. He also "had pin point pupils."
The man, identified as James Acord, told the officer that he was taking passenger Rhonda Pasek to the hospital.
The driver tried to shift the car into another drive while the police officer was questioning him. One of the officers then reached in and turned off the vehicle and took the keys.
The man then passed out.
According to local media outlets, Narcan, which is used to reverse opiate overdoses, was administered by EMS responders. Acord and Pasek were taken to a local hospital.
Acord was charged with operating a vehicle impaired, endangering a child and slowing in a roadway. Pasek was charged with endangering a child, not wearing a seatbelt and public intoxication.
The photos shared by East Liverpool Police were accompanied by a post about the need to bring attention to the heroin epidemic gripping the nation.
The boy was reportedly placed in the custody of Columbiana County Children's Services. He was identifed as Acord's son.
"The city Police department recently responded to a call of an incapacitated driver, attached are photos from the scene along with the actual police report.
The city administration works hand in hand with our men in blue to combat this epidemic and together with the law director we have made the decision to release the attached.
We feel it necessary to show the other side of this horrible drug. We feel we need to be a voice for the children caught up in this horrible mess. This child can't speak for himself but we are hopeful his story can convince another user to think twice about injecting this poison while having a child in their custody.
We are well aware that some may be offended by these images and for that we are truly sorry, but it is time that the non drug using public sees what we are now dealing with on a daily basis.
The poison known as heroin has taken a strong grip on many communities not just ours, the difference is we are willing to fight this problem until it's gone and if that means we offend a few people along the way we are prepared to deal with that."