A man crawled on the floor and begged for medical help inside a troubled Minnesota prison – only to be given an antacid and die the next day, according to a lawsuit filed by his family.
Shocking video released by the Bellamy family Tuesday shows the moment Hennepin County Jail inmate Lucas Bellamy, 41, crawls out of his cell on his hands and knees and appears to be hunched over in pain on July 20, 2022.
Bellamy remains on the ground as he speaks to a guard and a medical staffer, where he allegedly “begged for medical care,” according to the lawsuit filed in the US District Court in Minneapolis on Tuesday.
He was then given an antacid and put back into his cell, where he was found dead the following day due to a perforated bowel.
“This is more than negligence. It’s indifference,” attorney Jeff Storms told CBS News. “This is knowing a man is suffering terribly from serious medical needs and doing nothing, nothing to treat these serious medical needs.”
Hennepin County Jail inmate Lucas Bellamy, 41, was seen crawling on the floor as he begged for medical attention. Law Offices of Storms Dworak LLC
A day after the video was filmed, Bellamy died in his prison cell over a perforated bowel. Facebook/Lucas Bellamy
The lawsuit was filed against Hennepin County and Hennepin Healthcare and alleges that Bellamy’s death could have been prevented if not for the deteriorating standards at the county jail, which has seen 15 inmate deaths since 2015.
The incident surrounding Bellamy’s death began during his arrest on July 18, 2022, when he was charged for attempting to flee from police in a suspected stolen vehicle and possession of brass knuckles.
As he was arrested, Bellamy, who struggled with substance abuse for years, told the prison staff that he had ingested a bag of drugs and was taken to the Hennepin County Medical Center, the lawsuit claims.
In the video, Bellamy appeared unable to stand over his stomach pains. Law Offices of Storms Dworak LLC
Bellamy was monitored and returned to the prison with instructions to come back to the emergency department if he exhibited any concerning symptoms.
Despite his repeated pleas to go back to the hospital and his apparent inability to stand, Bellamy remained in his prison cell until his death, according to the suit.
His father, Louis Bellamy, the director and founder of the Penumbra Theatre in St. Paul, slammed the alleged inaction by the prison and medical staffers during a news conference on Tuesday where the video was released.
After his arrest, Bellamy was taken to the Hennepin County Medical Center and released with instructions to return if he exhibited concerning symptoms. Law Offices of Storms Dworak LLC
“I’ve made my living as a theater director. I know how to construct tragedy on stage,” Louis told reporters. “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.
“It can’t go unanswered, those people who chose to disregard his pleas for help,” he added.
Bellamy’s sister, Sarah, said that she hoped the lawsuit could help shed light on the other 14 inmates who have died in the prison over the staff’s alleged neglect when checking on prisoners” well-being.
Bellamy’s father, Louis, described his son’s death as a tragedy orchestrated by the negligence of the county. WSFA12
Bellamy’s family held a news conference on Tuesday to announce their lawsuit and release the video of his final pleas. WSFA12
“We hope as a family that by raising awareness about how my brother died that we can prevent the abuse and willful neglect that Lucas suffered,” she told reporters.
Storms did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for additional information on the lawsuit he filed on the family’s behalf.
Hennepin County said in a statement that it cannot comment on pending litigation but that their “sympathy is with the Bellamy Family.”
Hennepin Healthcare made a similar statement, adding, “We join with others in sending our condolences to the family for the loss of their son.”
With Post wires
Source link: https://nypost.com/2024/01/24/news/minnesota-inmate-crawled-as-he-begged-for-medical-help-a-day-before-dying/