The man who died Sunday morning while being booked into Northwest State Correctional Facility in Swanton has been identified as Jeffrey Nichols, 35, of Sheldon. He was arrested by the Vermont State Police late Friday night in Sheldon on a charge of second degree aggravated domestic assault committed in the presence of a child.
Police say Nichols became unresponsive in the booking area at the facility at about 6:32 a.m. Sunday, September 10. Corrections staff provided emergency medical care and called first responders to the prison. Lifesaving efforts were unsuccessful, and the inmate was pronounced dead at Northwest State at 6:49 a.m..
State police say an autopsy is taking place today at the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington to determine the cause and manner of death. This will include toxicology testing, which can take several weeks to several months.
This investigation is active and ongoing. On Friday night, state police responded to a report of an active, physical family fight at Nichols’ home on Duffy Hill Road. Troopers on the scene determined that Nichols caused bodily injury to a household member in the presence of a child. He was arrested for Second Degree Aggravated Domestic Assault and Offense Committed within the Presence of a Child.