Watch: Suspect Blows Fentanyl Into Fla. Deputy’s Face, Claims It's Sugar

A suspect is accused of trying to destroy evidence when he blew fentanyl into a Florida deputy's face, claiming the substance was sugar.

The bizarre incident happened shortly after 7:45 p.m. April 30 when Marion County sheriff's deputies had located a man wanted on probation violation in an Ocala grocery store parking lot, the agency stated in a social media news release, which included body camera footage of the encounter. After using their cruiser to block the suspect, identified as Jesse James McAuliffe, the deputies repeatedly ordered him to exit the vehicle.

McAuliffe showed signs of drug use, including a tie-off falling from his arm and syringes inside the vehicle, the sheriff's office stated. A search also uncovered a baggie containing a white substance, which was later found to confirmed to be fentanyl.

McAuliffe told deputies the substance was sugar and that he carries it around in a baggie because of low blood sugar.

"Test it. It's sugar," McAuliffe stated in the body camera footage.

Deputies then found a melted substance, which was later confirmed to be fentanyl, inside a bottle cap. According to the agency, McAuliffe blew the substance into the face of one of the deputies in "an attempt to destroy evidence," according to the agency.

"I was just trying to blow that off your hand, so you didn’t get it in your mouth," McAuliffe tells the deputies in the footage.

"You might get sick from it. Don’t touch it," he added.

Although the deputy was exposed to the fentanyl, he didn't experience any ill effects, the sheriff's office stated. 

A continued search of McAuliffe's vehicle discovered multiple pre-filled and used syringes, which were confirmed to contain fentanyl.

Deputies arrested McAuliffe on the outstanding warrant. He also faces additional charges, including fentanyl possession, tampering with evidence and other counts.

"Even a small amount of Fentanyl can be life-threatening," the sheriff's office stated. "These are the real risks our deputies face every day."