Church handyman’s family to receive $2.5m after fatal mistaken arrest
Juan Restrepo, a 73-year-old church handyman, died after Newark police arrested him in June 2020, mistaking a medical emergency for intoxication. His family will receive $2.5 million in settlements from Newark and New Jersey Transit; the case raises questions about how officers responded to his visible distress.
Restrepo was found in a damaged rental car after police received a report of an intoxicated driver. Police took him to Newark Penn Station, where officers could not obtain a breathalyser reading; he was in severe pain, unable to walk, and later collapsed while handcuffed. He died at hospital less than four hours after his arrest from cardiovascular disease. Restrepo’s family sued after viewing body-camera footage; he had served as sexton at Christ Church in Summit for 20 years.
In short
- Juan Restrepo died after being arrested during a medical emergency.
- Newark and New Jersey Transit agreed to pay his family $2.5 million.
- Body-camera footage documented his distress before he died.
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The case for
The settlements recognise the family’s claim that officers should have treated Restrepo’s severe pain, inability to walk and collapse as signs of a medical emergency, rather than continuing to detain him. The case also supports calls for police to seek prompt medical assessment when someone in custody shows visible distress, and for agencies to be accountable for how such situations are handled.
The case against
A mistaken initial assessment does not by itself establish that officers could have known Restrepo’s condition or caused his death, which the report attributes to cardiovascular disease. Those defending the agencies may argue that police were responding to a report of an intoxicated driver and that the settlements resolve disputed legal claims without proving individual fault; the available account does not detail the officers’ full information or actions.
Explained simply
Newark police arrested Juan Restrepo in June 2020 after a report of an intoxicated driver. Restrepo, a 73-year-old church handyman, was found in a damaged rental car and taken to Newark Penn Station, where officers could not get a breathalyser reading.
Restrepo was in severe pain, could not walk and collapsed while handcuffed. He died in hospital less than four hours after his arrest; the reported cause was cardiovascular disease. His family sued after viewing body-camera footage.
Restrepo had worked for 20 years as sexton at Christ Church in Summit, New Jersey. The case concerns how police responded to signs of serious illness during an arrest, and involves settlements with Newark and New Jersey Transit.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Much-loved church handyman, 73, died in agony after being mistakenly arrested for drunk driving… as his family receive $2.5million”.