Investigation underway after inmate found dead in Stearns County Jail

State officials are investigating after an inmate was found dead in his cell at Stearns County Jail earlier this month.

On Sept. 12 at about 3:49 p.m., staff at Stearns County Jail were conducting well-being checks and found an inmate having a medical emergency in his cell.

The inmate, identified as 34-year-old Isiah Oluwasheun Ero-Phillips, was unresponsive and later pronounced dead by Mayo Ambulance staff, according to the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office.

Officials said that Ero-Phillips was arrested by St. Cloud police for felony domestic assault and brought to Stearns County Jail at around 9:05 a.m. on Sept. 11, just one day before his death. Authorities added that at the time of his arrest, Ero-Phillips was heavily intoxicated.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is leading the investigation.

Ero-Phillips was brought to the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.