• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
MENUMENU
MENUMENU
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • FlaglerLive Board of Directors
    • Comment Policy
    • Mission Statement
    • Our Values
  • Live Calendar
  • Submit Obituary
  • Submit an Event
  • Support FlaglerLive
  • Advertise on FlaglerLive (386) 503-3808
  • Search Results

FlaglerLive

No Bull, no Fluff, No Smudges

MENUMENU
  • Flagler
    • Flagler County Commission
    • Beverly Beach
    • Economic Development Council
    • Flagler History
    • Mondex/Daytona North
    • The Hammock
    • Tourist Development Council
  • Palm Coast
    • Palm Coast City Council
    • Palm Coast Crime
  • Bunnell
    • Bunnell City Commission
    • Bunnell Crime
  • Flagler Beach
    • Flagler Beach City Commission
    • Flagler Beach Crime
  • Cops/Courts
    • Circuit & County Court
    • Florida Supreme Court
    • Federal Courts
    • Flagler 911
    • Fire House
    • Flagler County Sheriff
    • Flagler Jail Bookings
    • Traffic Accidents
  • Rights & Liberties
    • Fourth Amendment
    • First Amendment
    • Privacy
    • Second Amendment
    • Seventh Amendment
    • Sixth Amendment
    • Sunshine Law
    • Third Amendment
    • Religion & Beliefs
    • Human Rights
    • Immigration
    • Labor Rights
    • 14th Amendment
    • Civil Rights
  • Schools
    • Adult Education
    • Belle Terre Elementary
    • Buddy Taylor Middle
    • Bunnell Elementary
    • Charter Schools
    • Daytona State College
    • Flagler County School Board
    • Flagler Palm Coast High School
    • Higher Education
    • Imagine School
    • Indian Trails Middle
    • Matanzas High School
    • Old Kings Elementary
    • Rymfire Elementary
    • Stetson University
    • Wadsworth Elementary
    • University of Florida/Florida State
  • Economy
    • Jobs & Unemployment
    • Business & Economy
    • Development & Sprawl
    • Leisure & Tourism
    • Local Business
    • Local Media
    • Real Estate & Development
    • Taxes
  • Commentary
    • The Conversation
    • Pierre Tristam
    • Diane Roberts
    • Guest Columns
    • Byblos
    • Editor's Blog
  • Culture
    • African American Cultural Society
    • Arts in Palm Coast & Flagler
    • Books
    • City Repertory Theatre
    • Flagler Auditorium
    • Flagler Playhouse
    • Flagler Youth Orchestra
    • Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra
    • Palm Coast Arts Foundation
    • Special Events
  • Elections 2022
    • Amendments and Referendums
    • Presidential Election
    • Campaign Finance
    • City Elections
    • Congressional
    • Constitutionals
    • Courts
    • Governor
    • Polls
    • Voting Rights
  • Florida
    • Federal Politics
    • Florida History
    • Florida Legislature
    • Florida Legislature
    • Ron DeSantis
  • Health & Society
    • Flagler County Health Department
    • Ask the Doctor Column
    • Health Care
    • Health Care Business
    • Covid-19
    • Children and Families
    • Medicaid and Medicare
    • Mental Health
    • Poverty
    • Violence
  • All Else
    • Daily Briefing
    • Americana
    • Obituaries
    • News Briefs
    • Weather and Climate
    • Wildlife

John Paul Runnells, 32, Found Dead of Overdose in His Car at Winn-Dixie Shopping Center

May 22, 2020 | FlaglerLive | 10 Comments

The Sheriff's Crime Scene Investigations unit was dispatched to the overdose incident. (© FlaglerLive)
The Sheriff’s Crime Scene Investigations unit was dispatched to the overdose incident. (© FlaglerLive)

The Winn Dixie parking lot off Palm Coast Parkway was the scene of a death investigation by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Thursday afternoon after a man was reported to be unconscious or dead in his car there.




Paramedics had responded to reports that John Paul Runnells, 32, of Jupiter, was unconscious in a Nissan Altima parked at the plaza. Paramedics removed Runnells from the vehicle and began life saving procedures, taking him to an ambulance. They were not successful. Runnells was pronounced dead at the scene.

A sheriff’s spokesperson said the death was from a drug overdose. It is the seventh drug overdose death sheriff’s deputies have investigated in Flagler County so far this year.

The scene was taped off with crime scene tape and a criminal investigation followed, with detectives and the Crime Scene Investigations unit at the scene, as is routine in such instances, whether a crime was committed or not. It isn’t clear how long Runnells had been at the plaza, but lividity had set in by the time paramedics transported him into an ambulance, a sheriff’s incident report states.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
You and your neighbors collectively read our articles about 25,000 times each day (that's not a typo) with up to 65,000 daily reads during emergencies like hurricanes. Flagler County residents rely on FlaglerLive for essential, bold and analytical journalism that cannot be found anywhere else. But we depend on your support. Please join our December fund drive! If you donate the cost of a scoop of ice cream, you will be helping us continue to provide comprehensive local news and honest, serious journalism for our community. If you can donate more or become a monthly donor, even better. Donations are tax deductible since FlaglerLive is a 501(c)(3) non-profit news organization. Donate by clicking anywhere in this box. Think of it as buying a scoop, in every sense of the term!  
All donors' identities are kept confidential and anonymous.
   

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. ConstantlyAmazed says

    May 23, 2020 at 8:40 am

    Are the sure it was an overdose that killed him or was it “COVID19 VIRUS LIKE SYMPTOMS” ?

    Reply
    • Mike says

      May 26, 2020 at 7:16 pm

      Yes I know directly it was fentanyl

      Reply
  2. Lily says

    May 23, 2020 at 8:59 am

    My condolences to his family. I am so sorry he couldn’t find the strength to fight addiction.

    Reply
    • Jill Sossi says

      May 27, 2020 at 11:07 pm

      Thank you. That was my
      Little Brother and such a kind soul and big heart. Depression and circumstances cause people who have fought and one to relapse and now we are left with an emptiness that can never be replaced in our family.

      Reply
  3. C’mon man says

    May 24, 2020 at 8:15 am

    For every 1 that die nanyang more have come close. Since this happened 3 more people overdosed However were saved by deputies with narcam. Big problem here

    Reply
    • Mike says

      May 26, 2020 at 7:19 pm

      PD just wasn’t able to get there in time. I know the family members. Sad to see before it was too late

      Reply
    • CB from PC says

      May 28, 2020 at 4:11 pm

      Save them once. When they recover, choice of cold turkey in jail or resident rehab program. Leave program before completion, mandatory 2 years in State Pen.
      Narcan is compounding the problem with repeaters. The junkie population keeps growing,
      Bad choices lead to bad outcomes.
      But that doesn’t mean the rest of us have to provide and funds and people due to it.

      Reply
      • Conrad says

        January 4, 2022 at 4:12 am

        It is,I think even sadder that the real problem is staring you in the face.. When people hear fentanyl they immediately think heroin. If only that were the case,unfortunately the pharmaceutical companies and pharmacies in general are getting their pills with fentanyl already in them. The real problem is these doctors who ruin peoples lives. I was a part of a generation who trusted the word of their doctor over all others. If you asked someone what you should do… The usual answer would be “trust your doctor” well my doctor ruined my life. Thank God he is now in federal prison. Not that it even matters,he will eventually be out. My stomach being destroyed from the meds he gave me,won’t ever recover. I also had becomes dependant on the sleeping pills we was giving me a long with muscle relaxers any doctor with a brain knew not to prescribe together. I swear looking back,sometimes I think he was trying to kill me.

        Reply
  4. Mama Rae says

    May 24, 2020 at 10:58 pm

    Tragic. Drug overdose deaths are another pandemic. Addiction sucks.

    Reply
  5. John says

    May 31, 2020 at 12:23 pm

    Addiction is horrible! My cousin worked at a crime and trauma scene cleaning company that would clean up after people that passed away from drugs. Just sad. Company was Crime Scene Clean.

    Reply
  • politis matovina attorneys for justice personal injury law auto truck accidents
  • grand living realty

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Advertisers

  • grand living realty
  • politis matovina attorneys for justice personal injury law auto truck accidents

Recent Comments

  • Cody Weston on Drag Queen Story Hour Is Not What You Think
  • Joshua Rosenbloom on The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, June 4, 2023
  • FlaglerLive on Mistrial: Jury Deadlocks in Teron Trial On Rape Charges, Questioning Where Crime Took Place
  • Jaine on Mistrial: Jury Deadlocks in Teron Trial On Rape Charges, Questioning Where Crime Took Place
  • Steve Vanne on Drag Queen Story Hour Is Not What You Think
  • Greg on To Survive Poverty, Prayer Helped. But So Did Government.
  • Joshua Rosenbloom on To Survive Poverty, Prayer Helped. But So Did Government.
  • Steve on Drunk Driver Allegedly Goes Nuts on Deputy After Crashing Into Hydrant
  • Dennis C Rathsam on Behind the Divorce, a Bitter, Threat-Ridden Clash Between Waste Pro and Palm Coast Over Recycling Bins
  • Craig on To Survive Poverty, Prayer Helped. But So Did Government.
  • bob on Drunk Driver Allegedly Goes Nuts on Deputy After Crashing Into Hydrant
  • Atwp on Drunk Driver Allegedly Goes Nuts on Deputy After Crashing Into Hydrant
  • bob on Debt Deal a Rare Triumph for Political Center
  • Atwp on To Survive Poverty, Prayer Helped. But So Did Government.
  • FlaglerLocal on Drunk Driver Allegedly Goes Nuts on Deputy After Crashing Into Hydrant
  • TheTruth on At FPC, Misplaced ‘Man Cave’ Culture and Improprieties Cause Demise of Girls’ Basketball Coach

Log in