Prisoner allegedly fakes fainting in police car in Alton

ALTON – An inmate allegedly fainted in the back seat of an Alton police car on the way to prison Tuesday, but the stunt did not save the inmate from ending up behind bars.

The incident began Tuesday when officers conducting a welfare check spotted a man and woman in a car. A quick background check revealed that the woman was wanted on a warrant from the Madison County Sheriff’s Department. The woman was arrested at the scene and on the way to the Alton City Jail, she told the officer that she was experiencing chest pains and bleeding due to a miscarriage.

The officer immediately radioed his dispatcher to have an ambulance brought to the jail. Although the prisoner was only a few blocks away, he allegedly feigned unconsciousness. The officer called for an ambulance and it stopped on East Broadway near Allen Street.

“We took her into custody and took her to jail. There she acted like she was sick and fainted,” said Major John J. Franke of the Alton Police.

Fearing an overdose, officials administered naloxone, better known as Narcan, to mitigate the effects of the opiates. The FDA says administering naloxone to a person who has not overdosed is safe and will not cause harm.

When Alton firefighters arrived on East Broadway, they checked the woman, who was awake, and found her vital signs to be perfectly normal. Police completed the transport to the jail, but not before she allegedly feigned unconsciousness again a block away from the jail. The woman did not require further medical attention.