Medical expert weighs in on Sterling toxicology report

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - The newly released coroner's report on Alton Sterling includes a seven-page toxicology report detailing a long, and what experts call dangerous, combination of substances.

Blood and urine tests revealed among those substances were various levels of alcohol, caffeine, amphetamines, methamphetamines, cocaine, opiates, and several forms of THC, which is the active ingredient in marijuana.

Former Louisiana medical examiner, Dr. Louis Cataldie, weighed in on how all those drugs together affect the body. While he was not involved in the Sterling investigation, he is an expert on substance abuse. "If this person presented to an emergency room and I did the drug profile, I'd be extremely concerned about psychosis and agitation. I would consider that a dangerous patient," said Cataldie.

The autopsy report specifically highlights the presence of depressants, like alcohol, and stimulants, like meth and cocaine. Cataldie points out anyone using that combination of drugs would be impaired, irrational, and even psychotic. Specifically, Catalide explained when you combine alcohol and cocaine, it creates another dangerous compound called cocaethylene, which can lead to agitation, paranoia, heart attack, and even death.

"I would anticipate the possibility of agitation, paranoia, could be some paranoid delusions going on," explained Cataldie. "Certainly, it's a person whose judgment would be what we don't consider normal."

The full toxicology report from the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner's Office can be read below.

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