The family of Ghanaian-American postal worker Kingsley Fifi Bimpong has filed a federal lawsuit seeking $120 million in damages, alleging that police and correctional officers ignored clear signs that he was suffering a stroke.
According to them, this situation ultimately led to his death while in custody.
Filed on Thursday, October 9, 2025, the suit, according to myjoyonline.com, has accused Eagan police, Dakota County, and its jail staff of deliberate indifference to the 50-year-old Cottage Grove resident’s medical needs during the five hours and 40 minutes he was in custody.
Bimpong, a postal worker originally from Ghana, left work early on November 16, 2024, complaining of a headache, and was pulled over by Eagan police after driving into oncoming traffic.
Body camera footage cited in the lawsuit shows him exhibiting serious physical and cognitive abnormalities.
The report stated that Bimpong was unable to provide basic information, including his name and where he lived or was coming from.
A drug recognition evaluator was called, but did not complete the required 12-step evaluation to determine if he was under the influence.
Officers found no signs of alcohol or drugs.
Despite observing possible medical issues, Bimpong was arrested and taken to the Eagan Police Department for a blood draw.
While at the station, he stumbled, remained confused, and at times nodded off.
The report notes that an emergency medical provider recommended hospital care, but officers declined, reportedly saying, “It’s a whole thing.”
Body camera footage during transport to Dakota County Jail captured an officer beginning to say, “Is this dude having a stro–” before muting the camera.
At the jail, Bimpong struggled to walk and repeatedly fell. Despite this, officers documented him as “OK” in booking paperwork and during mandatory 30-minute checks.
Video footage showed him rolling on the floor for hours, losing control of his bladder, the report adds.
A nurse arrived after more than three hours, finding him cold and unresponsive. Narcan was administered three times with no effect.
At the hospital, tests revealed no drugs or alcohol, and a CT scan showed a brain hemorrhage and swelling.
Bimpong was declared brain dead on November 18, 2024, and removed from life support the following day.
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Katie Bennett, Bimpong’s attorney, said, “At every step along the way, it was a conscious choice of deliberate indifference not to bring him to the hospital.”
An investigation by the Minnesota Department of Corrections, cited in the report, found none of the jail officers were current on first aid or CPR certifications and had failed to document emergency medical information or conduct mental health screenings, violating state law.
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A statement by the City of Eagan said, “While Bimpong’s death is tragic, he was not exhibiting an objectively serious medical condition that was obvious to lay persons at the time he was in the Eagan officers’ custody, and there was no indication that he required emergent medical treatment.”
Meanwhile, Dakota County declined to comment due to ongoing litigation.
JKB/EB
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