Summit County Jail inmate's apparent overdose cascades to affect eight others
An unidentified substance smuggled into the Summit County Jail sent nine people to Summa Akron City Hospital and Cleveland Clinic Akron General on Saturday morning.
The incident began when deputies found an inmate who appeared to be having a medical emergency, the Summit County Sheriff’s Department said. Medical staff administered opioid overdose antidote Narcan, and she was taken to the hospital by the Akron Fire Department. The inmate was not identified Saturday.
The incident cascaded as three more female inmates who may have ingested the substance were given Narcan and taken to a hospital. Four deputies and a member of the medical staff began showing signs of exposure and also were taken to the hospital for observation.
All nine individuals were released by late afternoon, said Sheriff’s Department Inspector William Holland.
Investigators from the Sheriff’s Detective Bureau are looking into how the substance was smuggled into the jail despite extensive procedures designed to prevent that possibility, Holland said
"We are very cautious and take great measures to make sure we don’t get contraband into our facility,” he said. “We have to investigate and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
By late afternoon, the section had been cleaned and sanitized, and processed by detectives as a crime scene.
“The portion of the jail where the affected inmates were housed has been cleared,” Holland said. “All the inmates that were there are wearing new uniforms.”
Inmates in the area were moved to other parts of the jail as the section was cleaned and evidence gathered.
The East Crosier Street facility is capable of housing 91 female prisoners and 442 men. Holland did not say how many inmates were temporarily relocated during the incident.
Holland declined to speculate on the nature of the substance or how it got into the jail.
“We’ll find out once we’re finished investigating,” he said.
Narcan is an FDA-approved medication that rapidly treats opioid overdose. As opioid abuse has increased, it has become routinely stocked by police and fire departments.
Holland expects the culprits to be identified and apprehended.
“Once we determine how that contraband was delivered into the jail there will be criminal charges for those responsible,” he said.
Leave a message for Alan Ashworth at 330-996-3859 or email him at aashworth@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @newsalanbeaconj.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Narcan given to 4 Summit County Jail inmates as sheriff investigates
