Alleged drug dealer arrested for overdose death by Dunwoody PD
Jerel Lightsey (Gwinnett County Jail)
DUNWOODY, Ga. - An alleged drug dealer has been charged with felony murder in connection to an overdose death by the Dunwoody Police Department, according to a press release.
Dunwoody PD says they responded to a drug overdose in the 1200 block of Coronation Drive on Aug. 2, 2023. Upon arrival, they found the body of a 34-year-old individual. Dunwoody PD investigated and partnered with Gwinnett County Police Department and identified 44-year-old Ivan Jerel Lightsey as the person who sold the drugs to the person who died.
Lightsey is currently in custody at the Gwinnett County Jail on unrelated drug charges.
This is the 2nd time an alleged drug dealer has been charged with felony murder in connection to a drug overdose death by the Dunwoody Police Department.
Nearly 200 people die each day from a drug overdose in the United States, and a large percentage of those deaths involve opioids, according to Dunwoody PD.
In the last six years, Dunwoody Police officers have responded to over 156 overdose incidents and 35 of those resulted in death. The life-saving drug Naloxone has been administered by Dunwoody Police officers over 79 times since the department first acquired the drug in 2015. The majority of these incidents involved opioids, such as heroin, fentanyl, and many prescription pills.