11 Connecticut cops sickened during heroin and fentanyl bust

Connecticut authorities say 11 Hartford police officers became ill when they were exposed to heroin and fentanyl during a drug bust.

Deputy Chief Brian Foley posted on his Twitter account that the officers were sickened while executing a search warrant at Tuesday night in the city's Asylum Hill neighborhood. The officers were treated at a hospital and released.

Foley says the SWAT team members had symptoms of exposure to airborne heroin and fentanyl including nausea, light-headedness, sore throats and headaches.

Police seized 50,000 bags of heroin, three-quarters of a pound of raw heroin, fentanyl, two handguns and drug packaging materials.

Three people were arrested.

Fentanyl is a strong painkiller blamed for thousands of overdose deaths nationwide. Officers have gotten sick from airborne fentanyl, but no police deaths have been reported.