PINEHURST - Joseph Patrick Dwyer, a former Army medic who became famous after he was photographed helping a wounded Iraqi boy, died Saturday from an apparent overdose. He was 31.

In March 2003, a photographer snapped a picture of Dwyer spiriting a half-naked, wounded Iraqi boy to a makeshift military hospital. Dwyer, however, was uncomfortable in the spotlight. He tried to deflect the fame back onto his unit.

A few years later, he would be in the news again. This time the coverage would be less flattering.

In October 2005, Dwyer was charged with discharging a firearm in a municipality, a misdemeanor, after a three-hour standoff with Texas police.

Dwyer, who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, told a Newsday reporter that he was firing at imaginary Iraqis. He thought they were preparing to attack his apartment.

In the Newsday story, Dwyer and his friends also admitted that Dwyer abused inhalants.

Dwyer called a taxi Saturday night to take him to the hospital after an apparent overdose, Thomas said. When the cab driver arrived, Dwyer was lying on the floor.

The driver called police, who kicked in the door of the Longleaf Drive home at Dwyer's request.

"Help me, please," Dwyer told police through his front door. "I'm dying. Help me. I can't breathe."

After being loaded into an ambulance, medics performed CPR, according to the police report. He was pronounced dead at 7:48 p.m. at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital.