By Nathan Hardin
nhardin@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — Relatives of a Salisbury man said Tuesday they want answers after his death just days after being chased and arrested by police officers.
But Salisbury Police Chief Rory Collins said his officers acted appropriately in their Dec. 30 arrest of 22-year-old Claymore Jones.
Jones died at Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday. He had been on life support for several days, family members said.
On Dec. 30, officers attempted to stop Jones, who has a long history of legal trouble, and chased the father of eight to his grandmother’s house on West Bank Street.
Collins said his officers used “minimal force” in arresting Jones after he got out of his car and ran into nearby woods.
A relative and a girlfriend who arrived after Jones’ arrest said they saw him with injuries on his face.
He was then taken in a police car to Rowan Regional Medical Center after detectives on the scene said the situation was not a medical emergency.
Jones developed a large blood clot on his brain stem while at the hospital and was airlifted on Dec. 31 to Presbyterian Hospital.
Jones had a medical condition that caused his body to form blood clots that could endanger his life and was on medication for it, family members said. He’d had the condition since being shot in the leg several years ago.
Doctors told family members today that Jones was brain dead.
See tomorrow’s Salisbury Post for more details.