Coverley

“I want the public to know trafficking and abuse of opioids is a serious and deadly problem nationwide and Douglas County is no exception,” Sheriff Dan Coverley said.

Douglas County Sheriff Dan Coverley and Undersheriff Ron Elges promised to provide an update about the investigation later in the day.

The clash of rallies Saturday came days after Douglas County Sheriff Dan Coverley attracted national attention for telling the local library not to bother calling 911 for help after board members publicly considered a statement opposing “all forms of racism, hatred, inequality and injustice” and the line “We support #Black Lives Matter.”

Plans to organize a demonstration against racial injustice that spread on social media spawned competing campaigns supporting Coverley and inviting supporters to back sheriff’s deputies.

Coverley did not immediately respond Monday to messages about the events that a county and sheriff’s office statement characterized as “a handful of small arguments … between BLM protesters and counter protesters.”