EVERETT — A courtroom in the Snohomish County Courthouse was evacuated Thursday after fentanyl residue on a scale was exposed during a trial, prompting medical evaluations for about 20 people, authorities said.
The incident occurred at 11:55 a.m. when an evidence envelope containing the scale was handled and opened in a second-floor courtroom, according to a press release from the Everett Fire Department. The residue tested positive for fentanyl, though the exact quantity was unknown and there was no visible plume or sign of significant airborne release.
Out of caution, all occupants were moved to the fourth floor for assessment. Two aid cars, an engine, a medical services officer and a battalion chief responded. No one showed symptoms of exposure, and no hospital transports were needed. Fire and EMS crews cleared the scene by 12:35 p.m.
The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office closed the courtroom temporarily and arranged for a specialized decontamination team to clean it. The department coordinated with Everett Fire throughout the response. Officials did not specify why the envelope was opened or details of the trial.
This latest exposure conveys the pervasive dangers of fentanyl in Snohomish County, where the drug has infiltrated even secure facilities like the county jail, leading to multiple overdoses and deaths.
In May 2023, seven inmates at the Snohomish County Jail were hospitalized for suspected fentanyl overdoses after an incident linked to inmate Justin Michael Sims, 37, of Arlington. Sims was accused of possessing the drug, which caused the exposures. He was found guilty in August 2023 of three counts related to fentanyl possession.
A second incident occurred in July 2023, involving fentanyl exposure to two inmates at the jail.
In January 2024, Brendon E. Tesch, 36 of Lake Stavens was found unresponsive inside his cell at the Snohomish County Jail. The Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office attributed his death to fentanyl.
The courthouse incident comes amid a broader fentanyl epidemic ravaging Snohomish County and Washington state. In King County, adjacent to Snohomish, fentanyl-related deaths surged from under 200 in 2020 to more than 1,000 in 2023.
Statewide, drug overdose deaths reached 3,477 in 2023, or about 45 per 100,000 residents, with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids involved in 76% of cases. Preliminary 2024 data show a slight decline to around 3,137 fatalities, marking the first drop since 2013.
Nationally, the crisis shows signs of easing. Drug overdose deaths fell to 79,384 in 2024 from about 107,000 in 2023, a 26.9% decrease, with opioid-related fatalities dropping from 83,140 to 54,743.
Snohomish County officials have not announced when the affected courtroom will reopen.
Author: Mario Lotmore
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