Chase Lovell
Chase Lovell, 29, died on December 17, 2020, while held at the Kalamazoo County Jail in Michigan. His mother said he had been hearing voices and was depressed, and that she had taken him to Ascension Borgess Hospital for help days earlier because he was having suicidal thoughts. A sheriff's office internal investigation, as reported, found no documented wrongdoing by staff and said he was found hanged in his cell with a jail-issued bed sheet. His family's lawsuit says the jail ignored his known mental health needs, failed to follow its own monitoring policy, and left him alone for about an hour and a half before he was found unresponsive, and the family seeks at least $150,000 in damages.
Cause of death, as reported: Died by suicide (disputed; neglect alleged). The sheriff's office internal investigation found no documented wrongdoing by staff, while the family's attorney says the jail ignored his known mental health needs, failed to follow its monitoring policy, and left him alone for about an hour and a half before he was found unresponsive.
Reported by: Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office internal investigation (the agency that held him); family and their attorneys, Jon Marko (family or their lawyers); WWMT (reporters).
Lawsuit: His family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Kalamazoo County, several deputies and Integrated Services of Kalamazoo in June 2022, seeking at least $150,000; no settlement or award amount is reported.
Sources (6)
- News report
- Chase David Dalton-Lovel (Kalamazoo County Jail)
- Man charged with hospital arson heard voices before committing suicide in Kalamazoo jail
- Family plans legal action after son dies in Kalamazoo County Jail
- Family sues Kalamazoo County after son died by suicide while in jail
- Family of son who died in Kalamazoo County Jail files lawsuit, seeks $150,000