TAWAS CITY, MI — A Saginaw man’s life ended in a northern Michigan jail cell the day after Christmas. Months on, investigators have confirmed his death was caused by an overdose of fentanyl and methamphetamine, drugs he was desperate enough to keep in his system that he drank his own urine.
The Tawas City Police Department on the evening of Thursday, May 1, released its findings into the investigation of 43-year-old Arista G. Hunt’s death on Dec. 26.
Police in Saginaw County arrested Hunt on Dec. 22 on charges of possessing a controlled substance.
Hunt told Saginaw County Jail staffers he had used heroin and meth within 12 hours of his arrest. He also said he experiences body aches, restless legs, and seizures when detoxing from drugs.
Hunt was also wanted out of Iosco County for failure to appear in court. A sheriff’s deputy from that county on Dec. 23 picked up Hunt from Saginaw and brought him to the northern jail. Hunt told corrections officers he had recently consumed drugs and generally injected one gram of meth and fentanyl each day. He also shared his withdrawal symptoms with the staff and that he had been prescribed Suboxone, a medication used to treat opiate addiction.
The afternoon of Christmas Eve, officers noticed Hunt vomiting in his cell. The jail’s nurse practitioner prescribed Zofran to Hunt to quell his nausea. Hunt refused the medication, officers reported.
A few minutes later, officers checked on Hunt and found him unresponsive. They tried using ammonia inhalants to rouse him and contacted Iosco EMS.
Paramedics took Hunt to MyMichigan Hospital in Tawas City. An accompanying corrections officer reported Hunt underwent chest X-rays and a CT scan.
The hospital discharged Hunt at 6:55 p.m. and he was returned to the Iosco County Jail.
Corrections officers on Christmas placed Hunt in a detoxification cell in adherence with their protocols. Hunt requested a shower and when staff didn’t immediately acquiesce, Hunt started flooding his cell by clogging its toilet. Officers gave Hunt two verbal warnings to stop, but he continued blocking up the toilet.
Officers secured Hunt in a restraint chair. He was held in it for two hours, with staff checking on him every 15 minutes.
Back in a cell by 7:09 p.m., Hunt complained of cramping due to detoxing from meth and fentanyl. The officers checked Hunt’s vitals and contacted the nurse practitioner, reporting Hunt appeared to be in genuine pain, had muscle stiffness, and was vomiting.
The nurse practitioner instructed officers to watch Hunt for worsening symptoms as he had already been prescribed medications for his detoxing. The officers dispensed the medications to Hunt, their records stated.
Shortly after 8 a.m. on Dec. 26, officers found Hunt in his cell, unresponsive and not breathing. Officers performed CPR until Iosco EMS arrived and took over Hunt’s care. Hunt, however, did not survive.
Tawas City police officers conducted the investigation into Hunt’s death. The sheriff’s office provided them with surveillance footage, jail records, and access to staff.
Investigators reviewed more than 72 hours of jail surveillance video. The footage showed corrections officers’ actions were consistent with their reports. The footage also showed Hunt repeatedly vomiting and, on several occasions, drinking his own urine.
No allegations of staff neglect were corroborated through the video footage or witness interviews.
An autopsy on Hunt’s remains was finalized April 28. Iosco County Medical Examiner Dr. William Morrone determined Hunt’s cause of death was an overdose of fentanyl, meth, and phenylpropanolamine, the last one an ingredient in prescription cough and cold medicines. Morrone also confirmed Hunt suffered a pulmonary edema and had repeatedly consumed urine, apparently in an attempt to re-ingest drugs.
Morrone noted no evidence of trauma. He gave the manner of Hunt’s death as undetermined.
In Michigan, there are five official manners of death: homicide, suicide, accidental, natural, and undetermined.
Investigators concluded there is no evidence Hunt was the victim of foul play or that neglect contributed to his death. They are forwarding their full report to Iosco County Prosecutor James A. Bacarella for review.
Hunt was born in Flint and had lived in Tawas City before residing in Saginaw. He was survived by two children.
“Over the years, Arista worked in construction as a roofer and also in landscaping,” his obituary states. “Arista treated those around him like family and was fiercely loyal to those he loved. He was always quick to lend a helping hand or help out a friend in need, no matter the cost, while never asking for anything in return. Arista loved to laugh and make jokes and his smile will be missed by all.”
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