Parole officer hospitalized after drugs blown in face during Queens arrest

A Queens man on parole for a 1990 murder and attempted kidnapping case has been charged with assaulting a state parole officer after allegedly blowing a mixture of fentanyl, heroin and cocaine into her face during an arrest late last month, according to law enforcement officials and union representatives. 

Authorities said the April 29 incident occurred while parole officers were taking 58-year-old Adam Adams into custody on a parole violation warrant in Queens. During a search, state parole officer Tanisha Birdell allegedly discovered a folded piece of paper containing a powdery substance in Adams’ pocket.

According to the criminal complaint, Adams then blew the substance toward Birdell, who was transported to the hospital after experiencing burning and redness in her eyes along with numbness and irritation to her face.

The substance later tested positive for fentanyl, heroin and cocaine, according to the Public Employees Federation.

Adams was arrested by the NYPD and charged with assault on a police officer, a class C felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison, along with harassment charges.

Rise in ‘chemical attacks’

Gina Lopez, council leader of PEF Division 236, which represents parole officers, said the incident comes during a rise in assaults, contraband discoveries and chemical exposures across the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision system.

“I would say within the last five years you’ve seen a definite increase in the type of drugs that are more potent just by even exposure, by even touching them,” she told The Chief.

According to a DOCCS report, the number of “unusual incidents” — including assaults, accidents, fires, escapes and stolen or lost property — increased 16 percent between 2015 and 2023. Over the same period, assaults on staff and contraband incidents both rose 24 percent.

In an April 9 letter to DOCCS Commissioner Daniel Martuscello III, PEF president Wayne Spence warned that the incidents were becoming increasingly widespread and severe.

“These events are part of a broader pattern affecting many facilities,” Spence wrote. “Employees across all job titles are increasingly fearful for their safety and feel that their lives are being put at risk simply by coming to work.”

Spence called for expanded workplace safety protections, including the deployment of trained canine units to assist with visitor searches and random facility sweeps.

A spokesperson from DOCCS said in an emailed statement that "the Department prioritizes safety and security of its staff and fortunately, the Parole Officer is doing well and has returned to work."

In a separate May 12 statement, Spence described the Queens parole incident as “the latest example of the increasingly dangerous conditions” facing DOCCS employees.

PEF parole officer, Region 9 coordinator and Article 18 health and safety co-chair Gabriela Franklyn said the rise in exposures has contributed to growing anxiety among state workers and an increase in workers’ compensation claims tied to chemical exposure and other workplace injuries.

‘I fear for my safety at work’

“Sadly, it is not uncommon to hear: ‘My job is going to kill me,’ or ‘I fear for my safety at work,’ or ‘I fear retaliation if I speak out,’” Franklyn said. “Especially from our health care providers, vocational counselors and teachers.”

Lopez, who has worked as a parole officer since 2006, said narcotics exposure has long been an occupational hazard, but newer synthetic drugs have significantly increased the risks officers face in the field.

She added that parole officers now routinely carry Narcan — the brand name for naloxone, a drug that can rapidly reverse the effects of opioid overdose — a practice that has become widespread in recent years.

While gloves are generally available during searches, Lopez said officers do not typically wear masks during routine searches of individuals or residences, though protective equipment can be requested. The union is now pushing for broader access to personal protective equipment, including masks and nitrile gloves, as well as additional safety measures for officers conducting searches in the field.

PEF officials have also raised concerns over what they describe as insufficient accountability for individuals who expose parole officers and correctional staff to dangerous narcotics.

Lopez argued that while such incidents can constitute parole violations, disciplinary consequences are often limited unless prosecutors pursue separate criminal charges.

“Some people might only get like seven days, 15 days if there’s no actual criminal charges against them,” Lopez said. “There is hardly as much accountability for the behavior.”

The union is also backing legislation to amend portions of the HALT Act, which limits solitary confinement in state prisons that Lopez said has made it more difficult to discipline incarcerated individuals involved in dangerous incidents involving contraband and staff exposure.

Lopez added that the risks faced by parole officers mirror those confronting other law enforcement professions because officers routinely interact with formerly incarcerated individuals in settings in which the parolees may feel emboldened to assault an officer.

“So many dynamics can occur on a day-to-day basis with us doing our profession,” she said. “The amount of danger to a parole officer is just as much as the amount of danger to other law enforcement professions.”