The story of Lucas Bellamy is a case of “more than negligence. It is indifference,” according to Jeff Storms, the Bellamy family’s attorney.
Lucas Bellamy was 41 years old when he was arrested in Hennepin, Minnesota, on July 18, 2022, and charged with trying to flee from the police in a suspected stolen vehicle, and the possession of a brass knuckle. However, before the police arrested him, he had ingested a bag of unspecified dr*ugs.
Following his arrest, he told the officers that he had ingested a bag of dr*ugs. For this, they took him to the Hennepin Medical Centre where the doctors monitored him for three hours and asked the officers to bring him to the hospital’s emergency department if he started experiencing any unusual symptoms.
His medical report read, “ Patient did not develop any toxic effects from possible ingestion.” “Return to the ED(Emergency Department) for any new concerning symptoms.” He was put back in jail at around 9. am on July 18.
Two days later on July 20, Lucas crawled out of his jail cell with complaints of severe abdominal pain. The officers and the medical staff on duty made light of his condition. As he pleaded for him to be taken to the hospital they gave him antacids(Maalox) and asked him to return to his cell.
The time Lucas was speaking with the officers and the medical staff was captured on camera. “Help me, help me” he pleaded,” I need to go to the hospital, please help me,” he continued begging. He kept begging and crawling around, unable to stand up on his own.
Unlike what the officers and medical staff must have thought was a peptic ulcer, what Luca was having was colonic toxicity that stemmed from the bag of dru*gs he had ingested two days prior.
Lucas was returned to his cell, but the officers made a harrowing discovery the following day.
On July 21, at about 12:30 pm, Lucas was found face down in his cell. Sadly, he was not sleeping, he was de*ad. The officers made attempts to revive him, but he could not be revived.
An autopsy that was later performed showed that Lucas had die*d from a perforated bowel that resulted from the bag of dr*ugs he had taken. His de*ath could have been prevented if was taken to the hospital the day before when he came complaining to the officer and the medical staff.
Recently, the Bellamy family, led by his father, Lou Bellamy, held a news conference following a lawsuit they had filed against Hennepin County and Hennepin Healthcare. Louis Bellamy is the director and owner of the Penumbra Theatre in St. Paul, Minnesota.
In the news conference, Lou expressed his annoyance over the alleged negligence by the medical and prison staffers on duty the day his son came begging for help. During the news conference, the footage of Lucas on the floor pleading with the officers was also released. That video will remain the last known footage of Lucas Bellamy.
‘ I’ve made my living as a theatre director. I know how to construct tragedy on stage, and I can tell you honestly that I could not have built anything more callous, more disrespectful to humanity, human existence, than what I witnessed on that tape.” Lou told reporters during the news conference.
Sarah Bellamy, Lucas’ sister also expressed her anger, she said she hopes the lawsuit helps bring justice to 14 other inmates who had lost their lives in the same facility where her brother di*ed. Those prisoners lost their lives over the same sort of negligence that took her brother’s life.
