Date: Fri 28-Jul-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

Harlan-Allison-police-death-a3

Full Text:

Police Await Toxicology Report On Youth's Death

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

As they ponder aspects of a premature death, police are awaiting the results

of toxicology tests on a Hawleyville boy who died after he apparently

accidentally ingested an amount of the animal anesthetic halothane while

working alone at Mt Pleasant Hospital For Animals on July 16.

Police have been treating the death of Harlan Allison, 16, of Farrell Road,

Hawleyville, as an untimely accidental death.

"There was halothane present in the room where the child was found," leading

police to suspect that Allison somehow ingested the potent liquified

anesthetic resulting in his death, Police Chief Michael DeJoseph said July 24.

Allison apparently was dead when he was found at the animal hospital, Chief

DeJoseph said. Allison was found by a friend who had come to the

veterinarian's office after Allison hadn't shown up for planned social

activities. Allison was found leaning over a sink in an area used for animal

surgery. He had a job at the animal hospital's kennel taking care of dogs.

After emergency medical technicians responded to the scene, they attempted to

resuscitate Allison but were unsuccessful, Chief DeJoseph said. The Newtown

Volunteer Ambulance Corps transported Allison to Danbury Hospital where he was

later pronounced dead.

Allison's death appeaars to have been an accidental one, the chief noted,

pointing out there are no indications of blunt force trauma, no bullet wounds,

and no knife wounds.

The chief pointed out that the ether-like anesthetic known as halothene may

not have been a factor in Allison's death. "It could be that halothane didn't

play any part in this child's death," he said.

The presence of halothane in Allison's body may not be detectable

toxicologically, he said. The nature of his death will remain unclear until

the medical examiner's findings on the case are issued, the chief said.

Chief DeJoseph said he expects the toxicology results won't be submitted to

police until late August at the earliest.

"We've basically done all we can do," Chief DeJoseph said of the police's

investigation into the untimely death.

People who knew the young Allison said he wasn't the type of person who would

use drugs, Chief DeJoseph said.

"We have reason to believe he (Allison) was alone when this (death) occurred,"

said Detective Robert Tvardzik.

Chief DeJoseph said he has no reason to believe that Allison's death was a

suicide.

"It's a shame. It really is. It's a shame," Chief DeJoseph said of Allison's

premature death.

Police concur that any death involving the drinking of halothane would be a

swift one.

Chief DeJoseph said the halothane in the veterinarian's office wasn't kept

under lock and key. Because halothane isn't designated as a controlled

substance, it needn't be kept locked up.

It's unclear how much of the caustic substance Allison may have ingested, the

chief said.

"This is an untimely death. There's no criminality involved here," the police

chief said.

If the toxiocology tests are successful, the medical exmainer's report on the

case will list the cause of death and time of death, Chief DeJoseph said.

Sometimes, however, toxicology testing isn't able to firmly establish a cause

of death, he noted.

About 25 untimely deaths occur each year in Newtown, he noted.