Family attorney cites possible “indifference” at Hennepin County Jail
On July 21, 2022, 41-year-old Lucas John Bellamy died of peritonitis brought on by a perforated bowel while in custody at the Hennepin County Jail after repeatedly pleading for medical attention from jail personnel, including nursing professionals.
Lucas Bellamy, the son of Penumbra Theatre Company founder and Artistic Director Emeritus, Lou Bellamy, was arrested in Maple Plain three days before his death on charges that included fleeing from law enforcement.
Now, 18 months after this tragedy occurred, the family of Lucas Bellamy has filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit in the United States District Court.
At a press conference in late January, Bellamy’s father, mother, Colleen, and sister, Sarah, spoke out and presented a video that shows a desperate Lucas crawling along on his hands and knees and, according to staff notes, begging that he be taken to the hospital.
“It’s been over a year since Lucas died, so we’ve already gone through a process of grieving,” Lou Bellamy tells the MSR, “And then through the course of discovery, more evidence and details become available. But it takes a long time to gather information when it has to do with death.”
He notes that the family has had access to the video for a while but simply could not bring themselves to view it until two or three weeks ago, adding that “when you watch it… it rekindles all the pain and sorrow we’ve suffered, the complete range of emotion.”
According to the lawsuit, the younger Bellamy told the arresting officers that he had just taken opioids and was subsequently evaluated by a physician at Hennepin County Medical Center, who, upon releasing him to the custody of Hennepin County Jail, instructed that he be returned to the hospital should he experience any troubling symptoms.
And yet, while evidence suggests that he did clearly show such symptoms, Bellamy was allowed to die face down on the floor of his jail cell.
“This is more than negligence. It’s indifference,” Bellamy family attorney Jeff Storms told assembled media during the January 23 news conference, “This is knowing a man is suffering terribly from serious medical needs and doing nothing.”
Lou, an award-winning director who has spent nearly a half-century in theatre, states, “I’ve staged some pretty tragic scenes where people did horrible things to one another, but I’ve never seen anything that mirrored the disregard for the human form, for human life, as I did when I saw my son lay there dying.”
“Even strangers that you might meet on the street. Good Samaritans coming forward to help people they don’t know,” he continues, “In that moment, it was the job of these people to take care of Lucas. He couldn’t fend for himself and needed someone to fill that gap. And clearly, no one did.” To the public, this begs the question, what in the world is going on at the Hennepin County Jail, where, since 2015, medical-related deaths seem to happen more and more to incarcerated individuals?
In 2021, a report by Twin Cities NBC television affiliate KARE 11 revealed the September 2020 death of Naajikhan Adonis Powell to be the 10th in-custody death to occur in Hennepin County Jail since 2015. The investigation also divulged that the State of Minnesota has consistently sanctioned Hennepin County Jail, including at least six citations “for improper well-being checks after inmates died at the jail.”
Additional deaths have occurred both before and since Bellamy’s, including two young men who perished days apart at the Hennepin County Jail this past September, both termed “apparent medical incidents,” as reported by CBS News Minnesota.
So again, questions abound — is this a pattern that begs a deeper look? Perhaps the video of Lucas Bellamy, during his final days, coupled with the Bellamy family’s lawsuit, will serve as the impetus for change. And for justice. This story is no longer just local.
“I’ve heard from people across the nation and all around the world,” explains the elder Bellamy, “Europe, Australia, so many places.”
Here in the states, the story has been covered from coast to coast, including in outlets such as The Washington Post, Boston Globe, New York Post, Kansas City Star, U.S. News, and World Report, among others. Across the ocean, they’re writing about in newspapers like The Guardian and The Daily Mail.
Moreover, the spotlight on this case underscores many of the disparities that continue to exist in this area, where, regardless of our reputation for an outstanding quality of life, Minnesota has some of the worst racial gaps in the nation relative to education, housing, employment, healthcare, and incarceration rates.
Notwithstanding, Bellamy, who’s both made his living and dedicated his life to the authentic portrayal of the African-American experience ponders whether what happened to his son, as well as so many others, goes beyond our racial history.
“Because I’ve lived here my entire life, almost 80 years old. I’ve always been surprised by the precept of Minnesota Nice,” he says, “When we see example after example of this not being the case. George Floyd. Philando Castille. And so on – The emperor has no clothes.
“Still, I think maybe this is deeper than race,” adds Bellamy, “What one might call caste. There were people of color there to attend to my son. But there’s this separation between people. What sort of thinking allowed them to disregard his cries for help? Was it this perception of Lucas as “the other?” As just an addict? Someone not worthy of assistance?”
Indeed, Lucas was so much more than that. He was a skilled craftsman, talented actor, avid sportsman, loyal mentor, and compassionate supporter of children with special needs. And, Lucas Bellamy was a son, a brother, a father, and a friend to so many.
Per the lawsuit, the Bellamy family is also requesting an independent audit of Lucas’s case.
“Someone else needs to investigate the death of Lucas Bellamy, and it cannot be the county, and it cannot be the Department of Corrections,” declared attorney Storms, asking for the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office and the U.S. Department of Corrections to get involved and for the latter to initiate “a patterns and practice investigation of the Hennepin County Jail because more people die in that jail than in any other jail in Minnesota.”
The family has created a petition “to stop unnecessary jail deaths in Hennepin County.”
To sign the petition and learn more about how to support these efforts, please visit, bit.ly/DeathsHennepinCountyJail.
Lou Bellamy can’t wrap his head around what happened to his son and family. “The world seems to be getting meaner. Maybe it’s always been this way, and I was looking at it through rose-colored glasses. But whenever someone engages in this system, their life is at stake.”
We reached out to Hennepin County Sheriff Dewanna Witt to request a comment relating to possible systemic problems at the jail and if there had been any policy or procedure changes surrounding how medical emergencies are handled. Her office responded via email as she was traveling during the week.
“Thank you for your inquiry and providing us an opportunity to contribute to your story. Due to pending litigation, we must respectfully refrain from providing comment or answering the proposed questions. We remain committed to professionally serving all people in our facilities and under our care with compassion, dignity, and respect,” it read.
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