A 41-year-old man from Minnesota died in the hands of Hennepin County Jail after begging on his knees in pain for medical attention. Despite the hospital being located right across the jail, his cries for help were completely ignored by workers.
The Arrest
On July 18, 2022, Lucas Bellamy ended up in the Minneapolis jail after being arrested for fleeing police in a suspected stolen car after a high-speed chase. Among those charges included felony drug and firearm possession, and driving while intoxicated. He struggled with substance abuse and mental health problems.
When police arrested Bellamy, he told them that he ingested an entire bag of drugs. He was quickly taken to Hennepin County Medical Center where he was monitored and instructed by a doctor to return if he displayed any concerning symptoms.
Ignored and Neglected
Two days after Bellamy’s arrest, he crawled on his knees towards a nurse and guard with his face down after throwing up. “I need to go to the hospital. I need IV liquid,” he pleaded. Although he could barely move, staff claimed that he was able to “sit up and sit still.”
No examinations were conducted and nurses did not bother to take his temperature. He requested Narcan, typically used for opioid overdoses, but nurses did not administer it to him even though he met the requirements for the “Narcan distribution under jail policy.”
Hours later, Bellamy called a guard saying “Help me, help me,” as he was lying in the fetal position. The staff still refused to take him to the hospital despite his clear signs of distress.
After he continued to experience pain and anguish, a nurse gave him a cup of Maalox, an over-the-counter medication for upset stomachs, that he struggled to hold. The Maalox did not improve his condition and he collapsed to the floor, unresponsive. Medical staff attempted to revive him, but were not successful. Bellamy was pronounced dead at 1:15 P.M. on July 21.
“Lucas Bellamy was treated like he was subhuman, like he was an animal.”
An attorney stated in the lawsuit against the county
An autopsy revealed that Bellamy passed away due to “peritonitis due to a duodenal perforation,” which is known as a perforated bowel. A hole in his small intestine caused an infection that was an “easily treatable problem when timely addressed.”
Lawsuit Against the Staff
His family has since filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the nurses identified as Roselene Omweri, Kay Willis, and Michelle Diaz, as well as Deputy Lucas Weatherspoon. The county and medical center were also named.
“This is more than negligence. It’s indifference. This is knowing a man is suffering terribly from serious medical needs and doing nothing, nothing to treat these serious medical needs.”
Attorney Jeff Storms
The 41-year-old’s sister, Sarah Bellamy, hopes that the lawsuit will bring attention to 14 other inmates who died in the jail since 2015 due to alleged neglect. The lawsuit expressed that the county jail has had more deaths since 2015 than any other detention facility in the state.
During a press conference in January 2024, his family said there was nothing “more disrespectful to humanity and human existence” than what was shown in the security footage. The incompetence of the workers caused “unimaginable pain and suffering” to the Bellamy family. The Hennepin County Jail has not made any comments or statements on the neglectful case and accusations.
