Popoca Family Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit

The family of a man killed in 2012 after two Delaware County Sheriff's deputies and a State Highway Patrol trooper failed to arrest him for drunken driving is suing the county and the officers. 22-year-old Uriel Popoca was hit by a truck while walking on Routes 36/37 after the two deputies dropped him off at a Mexican restaurant near the I-71 interchange. Deputies Derek Beggs and Christopher Hughes were fired after Popoca’s death, as was trooper Sean Carpenter, who got his job back after an arbitrator's ruling. Beggs and Hughes face criminal charges as well. Popoca’s family says the officers took Popoca to the restaurant to make fun of him because he was Mexican and did not speak fluent English. Officials have yet to comment on the suit.