Dakota County cannot comment further, due to pending litigation.”

Mary Beth Schubert, Director of Communications and Public Affairs at Dakota County

Last week a case was filed against Dakota County, three Eagan police officers, and eight Dakota County correctional officers seeking $120 million in money damages for an alleged wrongful death of a Cottage Grove man after his arrest and detainment in Dakota County Jail last November.
On Oct. 9, the next-of-kin of Kingsley Fifi Bimpong filed a case alleging that Bimpong’s death was the result of “callous indifference” in the face of stroke symptoms while in the custody of Eagan Police and the Dakota County Jail.
According to the case filing, on the evening of Nov. 16 Bimpong left work from the US Postal Service early due to headache and decreased vision. Bimpong was pulled over by Eagan Police Officer Moseng after turning through a red light into oncoming traffic and driving into the center median.
During his initial interaction with Officer Moseng, Bimpong was unable to give his name, where he was coming from, and where he was going nor follow simple instructions like turning off the car and showing a driver’s license.
After Bimpong failed a field sobriety test, he was arrested despite the officers not smelling alcohol. He was brought to the Eagan Police Department where he was held for more than an hour before being taken to Dakota County Jail. In that time, a full Drug Recognition Evaluator evaluation was not done.
Bimpong was taken to Dakota County Jail the morning of Nov. 17 where during booking he was unable to verbally communicate and walk on his own.
From inside a cell, Bimpong would stumble, fall, hit his head, and lie on the floor in his own urine as various Dakota County Officers watched marking that the inmate was ok in well-being checks for over three hours.
When Bimpong’s vitals were taken, he was unresponsive, foaming at the mouth and cold to the touch. Narcan was administered three times before emergency medical services were called. A Hastings ambulance arrived on scene at 4:56 a.m. and took Bimpong to Regina Hospital.
He was confirmed brain dead on Nov. 18 and extubated and declared dead the next day.
The Ramsey County Medical Examiner determined that cause of death to be intracerebral hemorrhage. Bimpong’s toxicology report was negative, showing no sign of drugs or alcohol.
“For Kingsley, every minute of deliberate indifference over the course of 5 hours and 40 minutes compounded and resulted in his death,” says the complaint.
In response to the lawsuit, Dakota County provided the following statement:
“Dakota County cannot comment further, due to pending litigation,” said Mary Beth Schubert, Director of Communications and Public Affairs at Dakota County.
This lawsuit comes while Dakota County continues to discuss legal strategies for another lawsuit regarding healthcare within the Dakota County Jail: Caleb Duffy v. Dakota County et al.
That case concerns the treatment of Caleb Duffy who “experienced deplorable conditions inside a padded cell at the Dakota County Jail when the obvious and severe symptoms he displayed of a medical emergency were repeatedly ignored,” according to the July 18, 2024 filing.
Dakota County has had ongoing discussions of legal strategies for the Duffy case including earlier this month in a closed session on Oct. 6.