Portland police on Friday identified a man who died on Gilman Street as Marcus Reed, 46, of North Waterboro.
Reed was unresponsive when found in front of 16 Gilman St. just before 10:30 a.m. Thursday, and first responders were unable to revive him, Portland police Lt. Robert Martin said in a Friday evening statement.
Police believe Reed died of an accidental drug overdose, which they said took place in an apartment at the Gilman Street building. People who were with Reed at the time tried to take the man to the hospital, but called 911 once they could not get him into a car, Martin said, in part.
The official cause of death will be determined by the state’s chief medical examiner’s office.
Martin urged members of the public to call 911 immediately when encountering a person who may be overdosing.
“A person’s condition can change rapidly and the difference between life and death can be minutes,” he said, in part. “Calling 911 not only starts an ambulance, a dispatcher will give you potentially life saving instructions on what you should do while waiting.”
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