Kingsley Fifi Bimpong, an African American man from Eagan, Minnesota, died after police and jail personnel mistook the symptoms of a stroke for drug impairment, according to a federal lawsuit that alleges he went untreated for hours despite clear medical warning signs.
On November 16, 2024, Bimpong left his shift at the Eagan Postal Distribution Center, telling coworkers he had a headache. Later that evening, police observed his car traveling the wrong way on Pilot Knob Road and colliding with a median. When stopped, Bimpong appeared confused and disoriented, unable to recall his home or workplace even while wearing his USPS vest.
According to 11Alive, officers noted there was no alcohol odor but called in Officer Martin Jensen, a certified Drug Recognition Evaluator, to determine if Bimpong was impaired. Body camera footage later showed Jensen dismissing the need for a full evaluation, stating it would be “a whole bunch of time wasted.” When another officer suggested taking Bimpong to the hospital, Jensen reportedly asked, “For what?”
Bimpong was arrested on suspicion of DWI and transported to the Dakota County Jail following a blood draw. Video footage reportedly shows him stumbling, collapsing, and lying motionless in his cell, unable to control his bladder. Despite this, jail guards repeatedly recorded that the “inmate and cell [were] OK.”
For over three hours, officers reportedly passed his cell while he lay on the floor. A nurse was finally called when a guard noticed him foaming at the mouth and shaking. Believing it to be a drug overdose, the nurse administered Narcan three times, without effect. Paramedics arriving on the scene recorded a dangerously high blood pressure of 240/216. Bimpong was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
Medical examinations confirmed that Bimpong had suffered a massive brain hemorrhage caused by a stroke, and tests revealed no drugs in his system. He was declared brain dead on November 19, 2024, three days after the incident.
The lawsuit names the City of Eagan, Dakota County, and several officers, alleging that they ignored clear stroke symptoms and failed to follow proper protocols. Investigations revealed that some jail staff lacked current CPR and first-aid training, and wellness checks were inadequately performed.
Bimpong had been employed by the U.S. Postal Service since 2016 and had no criminal record. He is survived by a daughter and family members in Ghana.
