Silver City police arrested a man who allegedly climbed through a ceiling vent to break into Walgreens on Sunday morning and was in the pharmacy swallowing pills when police arrived and later had to be transported to Gila Regional Medical Center for an overdose.

Paul Thornton, 25, who was listed as homeless in a Silver City police report, was seen by the alarm company in the pharmacy area of Walgreens at 4:55 a.m. Sunday. Police headed to the scene and Silver City police stationed themselves by the front door to the closed store while Grant County sheriff’s deputies went to the pharmacy window at the drive-through. Deputies tried giving commands to Thornton, who was locked inside the pharmacy portion of the store, but he didn’t comply with them. The Silver City Fire Department arrived with a master key and opened the store, and deputies tried to open the cashier’s window to the pharmacy, but Thornton tried holding the window closed and then tried using the window drape stick to prevent the window from opening. Police were able to open the window door and one officer shot Thornton with a Taser, but it had no effect on him. Police were finally able to get into the pharmacy and placed Thornton under arrest and transported him to Gila Regional Medical Center to be medically cleared. When officers searched Thornton, they allegedly found burglary tools and multiple pills in his front right pocket, and empty pill bottles were scattered all over the pharmacy floor.

After being cleared from the hospital, officers took Thornton back to the Silver City Police Department for processing. However, while there, Thornton stood up in the booking room and collapsed, and had to be taken by ambulance back to the hospital for emergency treatment. The hospital advised police that Thornton was going to be admitted as he had overdosed on several prescription medications and had to be resuscitated. Thornton also allegedly kicked a registered nurse who was trying to put a robe on him, but the nurse didn’t want to pursue charges. Hospital staff informed police they found more pills inside Thornton’s left boot.

Because he was placed in intensive care, Magistrate Court Judge Maurine Laney released Thornton on his own recognizance, instead of requiring that he be booked into the Grant County Detention Center as he was admitted to the hospital. She set a court date for him at 8 a.m. Jan. 4.

He faces charges of one count of burglary, one count of possession of burglary tools, criminal damage to property, two counts of possession of a controlled substance, two counts of attempt to commit a felony, and resisting, evading and obstructing an officer.

Stewart McClintic may be reached at [email protected] dailypress.com.