Dallas Struggling to Solve Its K2 Epidemic as the Walking Dead Roam Downtown

A few months back I was ferrying a colleague from an Uptown appointment back to Dallas City Hall when, heading down Young Street, we saw a man lying face-down on the sidewalk across from the Butler Brothers building. Splayed out and still, he looked dead; we were positive of that. A panicked call was made to 911, which proved unnecessary. As soon as we pulled over an ambulance flashing red-and-whites drove up. The paramedics took a quick glance at the man and shrugged that they knew him -- a regular on the synthetic-drug beat. They cracked some smelling salts, which revived the man, and kept an eye on him until his head cleared and vitals returned to normal. Then they cut him loose, because he didn't want to go to the hospital and the paramedics had other calls to answer. Last I saw of the man he was trundling toward the Stewpot, which cops say is one of the hotter spots downtown for folks looking to score K2, a shredded weed sprayed with ever-stronger concoctions of brain-bending poisons sold for a couple bucks a cigarette.I know, I know. Nothing new.   Continue reading...