The Dunkin' Donuts shop on Washington Street was closed for several hours this morning while police detectives and the Essex County District Attorney's office investigated what they believe to be the accidental death of a 31-year-old Gloucester man from a drug overdose in the men's bathroom.
Police found the man, identified as Paul Long of Mason Street, after employees opening the shop called them yesterday at 7:05 a.m. after finding the door to the men's bathroom locked from the inside, according to the police report. A manager of the store told detectives he thought he could see someone's arm on the floor when he looked underneath the locked door.
After prying the bathroom door open with a tire iron, investigators found Lane dead on the floor.
According to the police report, detectives found a needle and syringe in the trash, along with other paraphernalia commonly used to transport and prepare heroin.
Long was transported to Boston for autopsy.
Surveillance video of the doughnut shop shows Long enter the store at 10:44 p.m. Tuesday, order a coffee and go into the men's bathroom, according to the report.
Around 15 minutes after the shop closed at 11 p.m., two employees locked up the store and left, unaware Long was still in the bathroom.
Patrick Anderson can be reached at panderson@gloucestertimes.com.
