FARGO-Fargo Police Chief David Todd posted a letter on social media Tuesday, Feb. 21, taking issue with the way The Forum handled a story about North Dakota's Good Samaritan law , and a community discussion regarding how the law is working or not working and how it might be modified.

A front page story on Tuesday featured voices from the law enforcement, public health and legal defense communities regarding the law that was passed in 2015 with the aim of reducing fatal drug overdoses by giving immunity from prosecution to people who report overdoses.

The immunity has limits, however, with one example being it does not cover individuals who sell or distribute drugs. Tuesday's story featured the case of two people who were convicted of drug charges in federal court after one of them called 911 to report an overdose.

According to court records, one of the individuals convicted sold drugs involved in the overdose while the other shared drugs with the victim who overdosed.

In a posting on the Police Department's Facebook page, Chief Todd took particular exception to the photo accompanying the story-which featured an ambulance and a police vehicle-and the photo caption, which mentioned criticism in some quarters that the Good Samaritan law is being circumvented by police.

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"Putting a picture of an ambulance and a Fargo Police squad car on the front page with the tag-critics are saying police are circumventing the immunity law-is damaging in a number of different ways," Todd wrote, adding that the story may heighten fears among those in the drug using community and reduce the chances people will call for help when someone overdoses.

He added that any implication police are circumventing the law is inaccurate. "We do not and cannot circumvent the immunity law," Todd wrote. "We are interested in drug users getting the help they need for their addiction in these immunity/life saving situations. "We do however, go aggressively after drug dealers who are bringing this poison into our community, selling/supplying/delivering it to others and contributing to these overdoses," Todd added.

He also said that by going after drug dealers and reducing the supply of fentanyl coming into the community, police have undoubtedly prevented overdoses and saved lives, "Just by the sheer quantity of fentanyl taken off the street."

Todd also stressed that police have been at the forefront of efforts to raise awareness about fatal drug overdoses, including participating in a special mayors' task force aimed at battling opioid issues.

"There aren't any easy answers to this epidemic, but creating unfounded fear about police circumventing the immunity law isn't helpful to our community," Todd wrote in the Facebook post.

Todd declined an invitation to talk with The Forum about issues he raised in the post.