A Knoxville man was convicted of Aggravated Child Neglect, following a harrowing incident in which his one-year-old child overdosed on a fentanyl-laced pill. Christopher Douglas Ward, 23, delayed seeking medical attention for the child after the near-fatal drug ingestion took place in his home on February 29, 2024. In an announcement from District Attorney Charme Allen, obtained by Knox County District Attorney’s Office, the conviction could land Ward a prison sentence ranging from fifteen to twenty-five years.
In the trial that spanned two days, the prosecution recounted how Ward had invited friends over to use marijuana. While he indulged, Kiana Coffman, the child’s mother, spotted a blue pill in the baby’s mouth. Ward initially claimed it was a Roxicodone pill and consumed it himself, only for it to turn out to be pressed fentanyl. Despite the baby becoming lethargic after spitting out the pill, both parents delayed hospital admission.
It wasn’t until the infant began showing severe symptoms, such as turning blue and having respiratory issues, that the child was rushed to the University of Tennessee Medical Center’s emergency room. From there, the baby was transferred to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital for continued care. “This child is alive thanks to the hard work of medical professionals who saved her life,” DA Charme Allen told Knox County District Attorney’s Office. The child required multiple doses of naloxone, thankfully recovered, and is now residing in a safe home…