OAKWOOD, Ga. — A three-month-long investigation into a fatal drug overdose in Oakwood has resulted in the arrest of a Doraville man on a charge of aggravated involuntary manslaughter, the Oakwood Police Department announced. The charge stems from the death of a resident who succumbed to a fentanyl overdose in August.
Initial response and scene investigation
Oakwood Police Officers were dispatched to a residence in the 4400 block of Township Drive on August 10 at 6:56 p.m. in response to a reported cardiac arrest. Upon arrival, officers located a victim on the bathroom floor with a syringe in her hand. Hall County EMS/Fire personnel confirmed the victim was dead at the scene.
The Oakwood Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division (CID) was notified and responded. CID Lt. Stewart Webb processed the scene, recovering suspected illegal drugs and paraphernalia from the residence. These items were subsequently sent to the GBI Crime Lab for processing.
An autopsy revealed the official cause of death as an “overdose of fentanyl.” The manner of death was ruled as “accidental.”
Arrest made after extensive investigation
Following the medical examiner’s findings, Detective Brett Earle of the Oakwood Police Department CID, working in coordination with the Hall County District Attorney’s Office, conducted an extensive three-month investigation. This inquiry led investigators to the individual allegedly responsible for selling the fatal dose of fentanyl to the victim.
Detective Earle successfully obtained an arrest warrant for Erik Kahn, 37, of Doraville, on the charge of aggravated involuntary manslaughter.
The arrest was executed with assistance from the Suwanee Police Department’s Special Operations Unit and their DEA Task Force Officer, who, Webb said, acted quickly on a lead regarding Kahn’s location. Kahn was safely taken into custody after a brief foot pursuit.
Police Chief vows aggressive stance against drug dealers
Oakwood Police Chief Tim Hatch affirmed the department’s commitment to aggressively pursuing drug dealers following the recent arrest. Hatch highlighted that the department responds to a significant number of annual opioid overdose calls, which endanger both victims and emergency personnel and incur substantial costs related to training and equipping officers with Narcan.
He stated that the department is now making “every effort to locate and arrest the individuals who provide illegal narcotics,” leading to accidental overdoses.
Expressing satisfaction with the current investigation’s outcome, Hatch issued a stern warning to those selling drugs in the city: “This is the first case like this that we have made, but it will not be the last. We want the drug dealers who operate in Oakwood to know one thing; we are coming for you.”
The Oakwood Police Department extended its appreciation to numerous agencies for their collaborative efforts throughout the investigation, including the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Druge Enforcement Agency, HIDTA Task Force (DeKalb County Police Department/DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office), and police departments in Chamblee, Sandy Springs, and Suwanee.
This is currently an open and active investigation, and no further information is being released at this time.
