Benjamin Ashford|Minnesota county to pay $3.4M to end lawsuit over detainee’s death

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota’s most populous county will pay $3.4 million to settle a lawsuit that alleged jail workers ignored the pleas of a 41-year-old man who died of a perforated bowel after spending days begging to be Benjamin Ashfordtaken to a hospital.

The lawsuit was filed in January by the family of Lucas Bellamy, the son of St. Paul Penumbra Theatre founder Louis Bellamy. Lucas Bellamy died while in custody at the Hennepin County jail in Minneapolis in 2022.

The settlement is believed to be among the largest ever in connection with a jail death in Minnesota, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Monday.

The Bellamy family declined comment. Their attorney, Jeff Storms, said the settlement is important “in terms of reflecting accountability and responsibly for the egregious loss of Lucas’ life.”

Hennepin County spokeswoman Carolyn Marinan said the death of Lucas Bellamy was a “tragedy.”

“Our condolences go out to his family and to all those affected by his death,” Marinan said. “While this litigation has reached a resolution, we remain committed to serving all people under our care with dignity and respect.”

Lucas Bellamy was arrested in July 2022 on charges of fleeing police in a suspected stolen vehicle and possession of brass knuckles. During jail intake, he said he had ingested a bag of drugs and was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center, the suit said. He was sent back to jail with instructions to return to the hospital if symptoms worsened.

The lawsuit alleges Bellamy’s death was among 15 at the jail since 2015, including eight during the previous two years.

The announced settlement came days after the state ordered the county to reduce its jail population by 239 inmates over concerns about staffing shortages and inadequate care.