Pubdate: Wed, 14 Mar 2007 Source: Daily Tribune, The (Royal Oak, MI) Copyright: 2007 The Daily Tribune Contact: http://www.dailytribune.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1579 Author: Christy Strawser Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?132 (Heroin Overdose) SUSPECTED DEALER CHARGED IN OVERDOSE ROYAL OAK -- A suspected drug dealer who allegedly sold the heroin that killed a 20-year-old Royal Oak man will face charges today that could land him in jail for life. Andrew Calvin Liddell, 46, of Detroit was expected to be arraigned this morning in 44th District Court on a charge of delivering a controlled substance causing death, a life felony. Police said Liddell sold heroin to Travis Spencer, 20, who died of an overdose Dec. 28, 2006, in a Devon Road apartment. Spencer reportedly had a history of drug abuse, though investigators would not say how Liddell was identified as his dealer. Police view Liddell's arrest as a big step in the fight against drug abuse in Royal Oak, which had a surge in overdoses in the last year and a half. Ten people in 2006 died of drug overdoses, four of them on heroin, and the Royal Oak Fire Department responded to 152 near-fatal incidents -- or almost three a week -- where someone overdosed on an illegal substance. "In these cases it is hard to identify the source," said Royal Oak Detective Lt. Corrigan O'Donohue, who credited the arrest to Detective Michael Moore of the Royal Oak police and the Oakland County Narcotics Enforcement Team, saying they worked together to identify the source of the heroin and obtain a search warrant. A SWAT team carried out the warrant Dec. 29, 2006, in the 20100 block of Keating in Detroit and Liddell was arrested for possession with intent to deliver cocaine, marijuana and heroin, along with four counts of felony firearm and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. While Liddell was in custody on the lesser charges, Royal Oak police waited for the medical examiner's report on Spencer. When the examiner ruled heroin caused his death, Royal Oak sought the life charge. O'Donohue said there is no evidence Liddell played a part in any other heroin overdoses in Royal Oak. "I think it's a good thing when you're getting the people responsible off the street," said Royal Oak Fire Chief Wil White. "It's part of the process; you've got to reach the people who are doing it. This is good news for the police department and for the people of Royal Oak." - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman