NewsCovering Kentucky

Actions

Murder Suspect Sues Over ‘Serious Injury’ In Jail Drug Withdrawal Case

Posted at 2:53 PM, Apr 17, 2019
and last updated 2019-04-17 15:10:18-04

LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A man accused of murder and assault is suing Lexington and Fayette County officials, claiming he suffered “serious injury” in jail because he was not provided proper treatment for drug abuse withdrawal.

Last March, Lexington police arrested and charged 24-year-old Chase Helvey in connection with a homicide that occurred on Maxwelton Court. The call was initially investigated as an injury collision but detectives soon realized that the victims had been assaulted prior to the crash.

Police say that Helvey was involved in an altercation with a female victim and then James Potter arrived to take the female from the scene. Police say Helvey shot Potter as they drove away. The female also suffered blunt force trauma and had been assaulted with a wooden object and threatened with a blowtorch.

Helvey was charged with Murder, Assault 1st, Kidnapping, and Tampering with Physical Evidence. In jail, he claims that despite knowledge of his dependency on benzodiazepines, he was not given appropriate medical treatment and nearly died.

Helvey is suing both the city and several employees at the detention center.

“In this case, though Defendants knew that Plaintiff Chase Helvey abused benzodiazepines and would
withdraw from them, they refused to provide him medically appropriate treatment. Instead, they waited until he was on death’s door to transport him to the University of Kentucky, where he finally received appropriate medical care. Unfortunately, their delay caused him serious injury,” reads the lawsuit.

Helvey is alleging gross negligence and is seeking actual and punitive damages.