PUTNAM COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — A traffic stop in Putnam County last month led to the discovery of meth inside a vehicle, as well as the transfer of a powdery substance — believed to be fentanyl — to the floor of a patrol car when deputies took a suspect to jail.
Body camera footage shows Lisa Harris getting out of a truck on July 25. The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said authorities found approximately 166 grams of meth and drug paraphernalia inside the vehicle.
Once the deputies arrived at the jail, they got Harris out of the patrol car and noticed the floorboard was covered with a yellow powder, which the suspect said was fentanyl.
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“What is all of this, this powder?” a deputy asked as she pointed at the substance in the vehicle.
“That is what was on my shoes…Because remember I told you that meth pipe’s not mine, and I stepped on it and there was powder,” Harris replied.
“This is an example of the dangers our deputies can face on a daily basis, especially with the prevalence of fentanyl, which is not only dangerous to users, but to anyone who comes in contact with it,” Putnam County Sheriff Eddie Farris told News 2.
According to the Tennessee Department of Health, Putnam County saw 32 drug overdose deaths in 2023, which was the most recent year for the data. Twenty-seven of those deaths — roughly 84% — involved fentanyl.
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Meanwhile, Matt Peters with the Metro Public Health Department said overdoses are decreasing across the country.
According to Peters, in the first half of 2025, Nashville saw 234 overdose deaths, which is down from 280 during the same period the year before. However, fentanyl was present in more than 72% of the overdose deaths from the first half of this year while the numbers Peters supplied from 2024 showed fentanyl was present in less than 70% of the autopsies for suspected overdose victims.
“The good news is we’re seeing a decrease in overdoses, a decrease in fatal overdoses. This is good news,” Peters explained. “The bad news is the number is still way too high; fentanyl continues to be the driver of this crisis. Numbers are lower than they have been in past years, but still far too many people dying of an overdose. It’s a preventable thing.”
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Peters said the decrease in these deaths comes down to public education and the availability of products like naloxone that reverse opioid overdoses. There are even vending machines in Middle Tennessee that provide free overdose reversal medication.
“Narcan is more available to everyone more so than it ever has been, and more people know how to use it, and I think there is less stigma around overdosing. Just about everybody knows somebody who fell victim to an overdose at some point,” Peters added.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, the Tennessee REDLINE is a FREE service that provides accurate, up-to-date addiction information and referrals to anyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call 1-800-889-9789 toll-free or visit the Tennessee REDLINE website here.
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