Inmate displaying ‘erratic behavior’ dies in custody

ANGELINA COUNTY — According to our newspartner KETK, a Lufkin man has died after spending nearly two days in the Angelina County Jail where he displayed “erratic and unusual behavior.” According to a release from Angelina County Sheriff Tom Selman, on Sunday deputies were dispatched in regards to a call of an individual at the Clawson Assembly of God church who reportedly had been behaving erratically and appeared to be under the influence of drugs.

Deputies located Michael Stolich, 46 of Lufkin, near a pickup truck in the parking lot. After speaking with him for several minutes, officials reportedly determined he was under the influence of some type of narcotic or intoxicating substance. Stolich was then taken into custody.

“Stolich had strewn items out of the pickup onto the parking lot and deputies located a package with approximately 12 grams of a substance they recognized to appear to be methamphetamine near the driver’s door which Stolich had thrown on the ground,” Selman said.

Stolich was then taken to the Angelina County Jail on public intoxication and a felony drug charge where he was placed in a detoxification cell in the book-in area.
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Stolich’s “erratic and unusual behavior” continued for some time as officers waited to book him into jail. Jailers allegedly monitored Stolich with cell checks at 10 minutes intervals after his arrival.

Officials said by Tuesday morning Stolich’s behavior had not normalized enough for him to “coherently” provide information to the book-in officers. By 11:20 a.m., Stolich was reportedly found on the floor during the 10 minute check and officers entered the cell where they found him unresponsive.

Selman said jail officers began a “full range of life-saving measures including deploying an AED, administering CPR and providing Narcan to Stolich until Lufkin Fire EMS arrived and took over.”

Stolich was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead from possible cardiac arrest, the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office said.

Selman said the sheriff’s office personnel are cooperating with the Texas Rangers who have begun an investigation into Stolich’s death. An autopsy to include toxicology has been ordered to determine his cause of death.