SUSPECTED DEALER CHARGED IN OVERDOSE

ROYAL OAK -- A suspected drug dealer who allegedly sold the heroin
that killed a 20-year-old Royal Oak man will face charges today that
could land him in jail for life.

Andrew Calvin Liddell, 46, of Detroit was expected to be arraigned
this morning in 44th District Court on a charge of delivering a
controlled substance causing death, a life felony.

Police said Liddell sold heroin to Travis Spencer, 20, who died of an
overdose Dec. 28, 2006, in a Devon Road apartment. Spencer reportedly
had a history of drug abuse, though investigators would not say how
Liddell was identified as his dealer.

Police view Liddell's arrest as a big step in the fight against drug
abuse in Royal Oak, which had a surge in overdoses in the last year
and a half. Ten people in 2006 died of drug overdoses, four of them
on heroin, and the Royal Oak Fire Department responded to 152
near-fatal incidents -- or almost three a week -- where someone
overdosed on an illegal substance.

"In these cases it is hard to identify the source," said Royal Oak
Detective Lt. Corrigan O'Donohue, who credited the arrest to
Detective Michael Moore of the Royal Oak police and the Oakland
County Narcotics Enforcement Team, saying they worked together to
identify the source of the heroin and obtain a search warrant.

A SWAT team carried out the warrant Dec. 29, 2006, in the 20100 block
of Keating in Detroit and Liddell was arrested for possession with
intent to deliver cocaine, marijuana and heroin, along with four
counts of felony firearm and one count of being a felon in possession
of a firearm.

While Liddell was in custody on the lesser charges, Royal Oak police
waited for the medical examiner's report on Spencer. When the
examiner ruled heroin caused his death, Royal Oak sought the life charge.

O'Donohue said there is no evidence Liddell played a part in any
other heroin overdoses in Royal Oak.

"I think it's a good thing when you're getting the people responsible
off the street," said Royal Oak Fire Chief Wil White. "It's part of
the process; you've got to reach the people who are doing it. This is
good news for the police department and for the people of Royal Oak."