Family seeks answers after 21-year-old arrested in Excelsior Springs found dead in jail
A 21-year-old died Sunday at the Excelsior Springs municipal jail, prompting questions from his family about the cause of his sudden death.
Benjamin Chase, of Excelsior Springs, was taken into custody for a warrant out of Clay County stemming from criminal allegations of unlawful weapon use and possession of an illegal firearm. Police Chief Gregory Dull said officers used a Taser on Chase during a brief foot chase Saturday.
Emergency medical personnel responded to the scene of the arrest, and Chase allegedly declined to go to the hospital for evaluation. At the time Chase also allegedly admitted to having used methamphetamine recently, Dull said.
Chase was found unresponsive in his cell the following day around 4:15 p.m. — roughly 23 hours after the arrest — and pronounced dead by EMS about four minutes later. He was inside his cell alone and there were no immediate signs of foul play, according to police.
The discovery was made during a routine check of the jail. The chief said Chase had eaten lunch earlier in the day and reportedly appeared fine hours earlier.
Matthew Merryman, an attorney representing the family, said there are questions they’re seeking answers to, including the cause of death and the use of force prior to his arrest. He said the family is “very concerned” as law enforcement has released little information.
Records related to the charges that led to Chase’s arrest were no longer publicly available by Thursday. A spokesman for the Clay County Prosecutor’s Office said the case had been closed.
