Valley City Man Dies After DUI Arrest, His Family Filing Civil Rights Lawsuit

the man died in july 2018

VALLEY CITY, N.D. — A Valley City man dies in a Fargo hospital after being arrested for a DUI. Now his family is filing a federal civil rights lawsuit against Valley City police and others.

A complaint filed in Fargo’s U.S. District Court says Lindvold was deprived of his civil rights and illegally arrested in July 2018. It says if Lindvold had chronic arthritis and if he had received appropriate care, he would not have died.

The medical examiner concluded that Lindvold’s death was an accident, probably due to a fall.

BCI says two Valley City police officers did nothing criminal when they arrested him.

Barnes County Sheriff Randy McClaflin and Mercy Hospital are among the 12 co-defendants. The lawsuit is seeking a jury trial and unspecified damages.