Earlier this week, 38-year old Casey Stack of Coventry presented his side of the story on what led him to spend the weekend in the Summit County Jail. He accused Sheriff's Deputies of improperly using a Taser stun device on him when he actually was suffering from an epileptic seizure. He also claims he did not receive medical treatment when booked into the Summit County Jail.

Sheriff Drew Alexander is firing back, but with a letter to the media instead of a Taser.

Alexander says Stack drew the attention of deputies when he first intentionally ran his car into another vehicle. Alexander defends the actions of his deputies, noting Stack's dilated pupils could also have been the result of being under the influence of an illegal drug.

Alexander notes Stack refused, in writing, medical attention when transported to the Jail by the Coventry Fire Department, and also received routine medical evaluation during the intake process when booked at the Summit County Jail, where the Sheriff says Stack was given the proper medical treatment according to standard jail operating procedure.

Letter from Alexander to area media outlets:

September 1, 2011

All Media:

I would like to take a moment to address a recent article published in the Akron Beacon Journal: "Defendant Says Deputies Didn't Recognize Seizure." Their article contains numerous statements from the defendant, Casey Stack. However, his statements are not consistent with the facts documented by our agency. Unfortunately, all of the facts of this incident were not included in the article.

The Summit County deputies became involved only because of Mr. Stack's decision to intentionally crash into another vehicle. The Akron Beacon Journal's assessment is shortsighted, questioning the professionalism of our deputies by insulting their dedication and commitment to preserving the peace. Their failure to get all of the facts prior to the publication of this story could be perceived as an intentional attempt to damage the integrity of the Summit County Sheriff's Office.

I hope that this is not the case and I would welcome the chance to discuss all of the facts with them so that they may print the whole story.

Mr. Stack states he feels that the deputies should have recognized the seizure he claims that he suffered that day. Our deputies do receive CPR/First Aid training which includes training on identifying individuals in different types of medical distress. The fact that Mr. Stack states his pupils were dilated could also have been an indication that he was under the influence of some type of illegal drug.

Mr. Stack claims that his medical condition was ignored at the jail and he did not receive his medication for more than a day. The Coventry Fire Department responded to the incident scene but Mr. Stack refused medical treatment in writing. He was then transported to the Summit County Jail where he received routine medical screening during the booking process, consistent with jail policy. Our jail medical staff ensured that Mr. Stack was given his proper medication in a timely manner consistent with jail policy.

The deputies involved had to make split second decisions based on immediate information at hand during this rapidly evolving situation. I feel that, based on the facts obtained regarding this incident, our deputies assessed the situation, and acted reasonably and objectively to Mr. Stack's actions.

Sheriff Drew Alexander

County of Summit