On Tuesday, the Baytown Police Department said officers conducted a traffic stop along Crosby-Cedar Bayou Road on a suspect wanted by the Chambers County Sheriff's Office for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
During the stop, the wanted suspect and another person inside the vehicle refused to comply with officers' commands, Baytown PD said, resulting in officers deploying pepper ball munitions and a police K-9.
While officers took the other person into custody, the suspect allegedly climbed into the vehicle's trunk.
When officers opened the trunk, the suspect was "in medical distress" and was taken to the hospital, where he died, police said.
"The Baytown Police Department would like to clarify that no firearms were discharged during this incident," the department said in a social media post.
It's unclear what may have played a role in the man's death, but Baytown PD said an investigation is ongoing.