I was also quite confused when I read the title of this article. For one, I didn’t think that walking around a grocery store while eating food you intend to pay for was a crime. Second, I didn’t think it was possible to even have as much as 11 grams of fentanyl on a single person. Well, I was certainly proved wrong when a man in Florida was arrested at a Walmart for both of those things. He definitely had to have an agenda that went far beyond buying blueberries at the grocery store.
A man named Brian Flanagan in Pensacola, Florida, was arrested earlier in May for various crimes related to possession of drugs as well as theft from a retail store. More specifically, he was seen at a Walmart on Mobile Highway in Escambia County eating blueberries that he hadn’t paid for. When approached by authorities after being recorded disposing of the package and leaving the self-checkout area, he was also to be found in possession of drugs, including meth, marijuana, and fentanyl. More specifically, he was found to have 11 grams of fentanyl. One commenter found it funny and said, “never commit two crimes at the same time.“
For those unaware, fentanyl is a fast-acting opioid that acts as a painkiller when used in moderation. On the street, it’s used for a quick high that leaves users with a euphoric, numb feeling. When in this state, users tend to stand in a slump and find it difficult to reawaken until the effects of the drug wear off. The drug is also a part of a wider war of what is available to teens on the street.
For whatever reason, Flanagan is being held on a $534,500 bail at Escambia County jail. Considering the amount of drugs he was caught with and their worth, I can’t imagine it would be very difficult for him to come up with the funds necessary to get him back on the street again.
