Vermont State Police say the death of a man in custody at the Bennington Police Department in March was the result of an accidental drug overdose.
Darrell Jones, 33, of New York and Pennsylvania, died at the police department on March 23, prompting an investigation by Vermont State Police.
The Chief Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause of Jones’ death was the result of “acute mixed drug intoxication including fentanyl, heroin and cocaine, and the manner of death was an accident,” state police said in a press release on Monday.
State police investigators concluded that Jones had drugs “concealed in his person” when Bennington police took him into custody.
“He subsequently ingested a large amount of drugs while in a holding cell before he experienced extreme medical distress and died in the cell,” police wrote in the release.
Vermont State Police said it has forwarded its investigation to the Bennington County State’s Attorney’s Office for review.
An initial investigation showed no indication that Bennington police used physical force against Jones, state police have said.
Jones was arrested as part of a police raid as they searched for illegal drugs. Two other people were charged with possessing a controlled substance.
