The 19-year-old son of Broome County District Attorney Stephen Cornwell has been arrested in Binghamton.

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Bob Joseph/WNBF News [file][/caption]

Cornwell issued a brief statement revealing the arrest on Wednesday.

In the statement, Cornwell said his son was arrested "for criminally possessing a hypodermic instrument." He said the arrest was made by the Binghamton Police Department.

The district attorney said he will request that a special prosecutor be assigned to handle the misdemeanor case.

The three-sentence statement from Cornwell concluded: "Many people are struggling in our community, and we are working toward a brighter future for all Broome County residents."

Cornwell, who became district attorney last January, has said the epidemic of heroin and opioid abuse is one of his top priorities.

Cornwell recently said 175 people have sought treatment under an initiative he launched in February to help heroin addicts.

The district attorney has said this month he plans to announce an effort to encourage anonymous tips to help law enforcement officials fight those selling heroin in Broome County.

Cornwell discussed the issue on WNBF Radio's Binghamton Now program. LISTEN to the full interview here.


For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.

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