A fire department captain found dead at his Newark firehouse died overnight of an apparent overdose, law enforcement sources tell News 4.
The acting prosecutor in Essex County confirmed the captain was found unresponsive Saturday morning at the firehouse on Park Avenue. A second man, a retired firefighter, was found unconscious alongside the captain.
Both were transported to University Hospital, where the captain was pronounced dead and the retired firefighter remains hospitalized. The sources said the retired firefighter's condition is non-life-threatening.
Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens said the preliminary investigation points to no signs of violence.
According to the law enforcement officials, the retired firefighter brought a controlled substance with him to the firehouse late Friday night. At shift change the next morning, a firefighter entered the captain's office and found the two men inside, they said.
The Essex County Prosecutor's Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force, which includes Newark police detectives, is investigating the death.
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