The family of a Minnesota postal worker has filed a federal lawsuit against law enforcement and correctional officers, alleging negligence that led to his death following a stroke while in custody.
The suit, lodged on Thursday, claims that Eagan police, Dakota County, and jail officials showed “deliberate indifference” to the medical needs of 50-year-old Kingsley Fifi Bimpong, a Cottage Grove resident originally from Ghana. According to the complaint, Bimpong died after spending nearly six hours in custody without receiving proper medical attention.
Court documents indicate that on November 16, 2024, Bimpong left work early due to a severe headache and was later stopped by Eagan police after reportedly driving into oncoming traffic. Body camera footage allegedly showed that he appeared disoriented and unable to recall basic information such as his name or address.
Despite officers noting no signs of alcohol or drug use, they called a drug recognition expert who did not perform a full evaluation. The lawsuit claims officers repeatedly discussed whether Bimpong might be experiencing a medical emergency but failed to take him to a hospital.
Instead, he was detained and taken to the Eagan Police Department for a blood test, where witnesses said he “stumbled,” appeared confused, and occasionally fell asleep. When a medical responder at the station asked if he would be taken for treatment, an officer reportedly dismissed the idea, saying “it’s a whole thing,” and instead transported him to the Dakota County Jail.
Body camera footage captured one officer starting to say, “Is this dude having a stro–,” before muting the recording, the lawsuit says.
At the jail, Bimpong struggled to stand and required assistance walking. Despite these signs, his intake form indicated no need for medical evaluation. Surveillance and observation logs allegedly showed he later collapsed and rolled on the floor of his cell for hours, losing control of his bladder, while guards continued to mark his condition as “OK.”
More than three hours later, a nurse entered his cell and found him unresponsive and cold to the touch. Despite several doses of Narcan, there was no improvement. He was taken to a hospital, where tests revealed a brain hemorrhage and swelling. Bimpong was declared brain-dead two days later, on November 18, and removed from life support the following day.
Attorney Katie Bennett, representing the family, stated that “at every step, officials ignored obvious medical distress,” describing their actions as a “conscious choice of deliberate indifference.”
An internal investigation by the Minnesota Department of Corrections later found that none of the correctional officers were up to date with first aid or CPR certification and failed to record Bimpong’s medical condition, violating state policy.
The City of Eagan issued a statement expressing condolences but denied wrongdoing, saying Bimpong “was not exhibiting an objectively serious medical condition that was obvious to lay persons at the time.”
The lawsuit seeks $120 million in damages and calls for reforms to Dakota County Jail’s health and safety procedures.
Sources: Star Tribune (2025); KARE 11 News; CBS Minnesota.
