The family of a 31-year-old gay man from Carpentersville, Illinois are frustrated with the lack of information they have been able to get about his death after what should have been a routine traffic stop by police.

The Chicago Daily Herald said that Joshua Paul died on Aug. 18 at Sherman Hospital in Elgin, Illinois of undisclosed causes. He was a graduate of Larkin High School and worked as a restaurant server.

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The Daily Herald‘s Madhu Krishnamurthy spoke to Brian Perkins, an attorney representing Paul’s family, who said, “At this point, the family wants to know what happened. Clearly something went wrong. He left (home) healthy and fine. There was no clue that he wouldn’t come back. He was 100 percent normal.”

Weeks after his death, Paul’s family have not been given any explanation about what caused his death, what his injuries were when he arrived at the hospital, or if he was conscious and able to explain what happened when he arrived.

“They haven’t received any information from the Carpentersville Police Department or Illinois State Police because the investigation is still pending,” Perkins told Krishnamurthy. “It’s a mystery now. We obviously respect the law enforcement process and it has to take place in a controlled manner.”

The Illinois State Police Public Integrity Unit is reportedly investigating the death and what role officers may have played in it.

State police spokesperson Monique Bond told the Daily Herald that it could take anywhere from two weeks to two months for the investigation to yield any results. Meanwhile, the family grieves and waits.

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Police have said that they pulled Paul over on suspicion of driving on a revoked license and that he had a warrant out for his arrest regarding a previous traffic violation. Paul reportedly got into a physical struggle with the officers as they placed him under arrest.

Kane County Coroner Rob Russell told Krishnamurthy that toxicology results and a physician’s report on Paul’s autopsy are still pending.

Perkins said that his firm will conduct its own investigation via Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and subpoenas.

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[image of Joshua Paul via Facebook.com]

