Gladys Kessler, United States District Judge.
Plaintiff is Dayshawn Ingram, the son of the decedent, Anthony Chambers. Mr. Chambers died immediately after a violent encounter with the police. Plaintiff alleges that one of the police officers, Officer Michael Shipman-Meyer, illegally used a chokehold on his father, which caused his death. Plaintiff brings several claims against Officers Shipman-Meyer, William Karabelas, Stephen Rose, and Elizabeth LaDuca, as well as the District of Columbia, stemming from the death of his father.
Presently before the Court are Plaintiff's and Defendants' Cross-motions for Summary Judgment. Having reviewed the parties' respective Motions, Oppositions, Replies, and Surreplies, Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment is
On September 19, 2012, Plaintiff commenced this action in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Subsequently, Defendants removed the case from Superior Court to this Court, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1441 et seq.
After extensive discovery, Plaintiff amended the Complaint he originally filed in Superior Court. First Amended Complaint ("FAC") [Dkt. No. 37]. Count One alleges that the four officers acted negligently, violating an applicable national standard of care, resulting in Mr. Chamber's
On January 15, 2016, Plaintiff moved for partial summary judgment. Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment ("Pl.'s MSJ") [Dkt. No. 56]. Plaintiff seeks summary judgment on parts of Counts One, Two, Three, and Five of his First Amended Complaint, but does not seek summary judgment as to any part of Count Four.
The Defendants also cross-moved for summary judgment on all counts. Defs.' MSJ at 1. Plaintiffs filed an Opposition, to which Defendants filed a Reply, and both parties filed Surreplies. Plaintiff's Opposition ("Pl.'s Opp'n") [Dkt. No. 63], Defendants' Reply ("Defs.' Reply") [Dkt. No. 65], Plaintiff's Surreply ("Pl.'s Surreply") [Dkt. No. 68], and Defendants' Surreply ("Defs.' Surreply") [Dkt. No. 69].
As a preliminary matter, Defendants argue that their statement of material facts should be accepted, virtually in its entirety, because Plaintiff failed to comply with Local Rule 7. Defs.' Analysis of Material Facts, Exh. 1 to Defs.' Reply at 1 n.1 (citing LCvR 7) [Dkt. No. 65-1]. Defendants argue that, if the Court were to do so, there are essentially no material facts in dispute in this case. Defs.' Reply at 2 n.2. In other words, Defendants ask the Court to decide this case based almost exclusively on their characterization of what occurred.
Local Rule 7 requires a party moving for summary judgment to file a "statement of material facts" that it contends are undisputed. LCvR 7(h)(1). In addition, it requires that a party opposing a summary judgment motion must respond to the moving party's statement of facts with "a concise statement" of "all material facts" that remain in dispute.
Both Plaintiffs and Defendants filed the required Rule 7 statement with their respective motions for summary judgment. Defendants, in their Opposition to Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment, filed the required response to Plaintiff's statement of material facts, indicating what facts Defendants believed remain in dispute. Plaintiff failed to respond to Defendants' statement of material facts in his
Though "strict compliance with the local rule" is the norm,
In cases involving deadly force, "where the witness most likely to contradict the officer's story — the person [killed] — is unable to testify, courts ... may not simply accept what may be a self-serving account by the police officer. Instead, courts must carefully examine all the evidence in the record ... to determine whether the officer's story is internally consistent and consistent with other known facts. Courts must also look at the circumstantial evidence that, if believed, would tend to discredit the police officer's story, and consider whether this evidence could convince a rational factfinder that the officer acted unreasonably."
Heeding the directive of the Court of Appeals, the Court carefully examined the evidence in the record to determine whether the account provided by Defendants, or any portions thereof, were contradicted by other record evidence.
Instead, the Court will present the relevant facts it has culled from the record and then identify the key issues of material fact that remain in dispute.
Anthony Chambers was 38 years old on June 8, 2012. That day he was staying with his sister, Valentina Chambers. Mr. Chambers was experiencing some sort of mental disturbance, possibly brought on by his use of PCP. Seeking assistance, Mr. Chambers contacted the Mayor's office.
Two employees of the Department of Behavioral Health ("DBH"), Linda Miller and Gary Yingling, were dispatched to the Chambers' residence to assist him. Mr. Chambers appeared agitated, telling them that a chip had been planted inside him by the government. The DBH employees asked Mr. Chambers to accompany them so that he could receive treatment, but he refused and then demanded that they leave. He threatened violence if they did not.
Believing Mr. Chambers to be a potential danger to himself or others, Miller and Yingling sought assistance from the police. They went to the First District police station, where Miller prepared a document authorizing the detention of Mr. Chambers for a psychiatric evaluation. Given Mr. Chamber's size, he stood 6' 4' tall and
Four officers were assigned the task — William Karabelas, Stephen Rose, Michael Shipman-Meyer, and Elizabeth LaDuca. Exactly what the officers were told about their assignment is unclear. All the officers understood that they were acting on a civil matter, dealing with a mentally disturbed individual, and not there to make an arrest. The evidence suggests that neither the DBH employees nor the officers were aware that Mr. Chambers' mental health episode was drug-related. Deposition of Linda Miller ("Miller Dep.") at 19:1-4 [Dkt. No. 61-10]. However, prior to heading to the Chambers' residence, some of the officers were apparently informed that Mr. Chambers was a butcher by trade, and therefore known to carry knives, and had threatened violence earlier that day. Significantly, Officer Shipman-Meyer was not made aware of either of these facts. See Deposition of Officer Shipman-Meyer ("Shipman-Meyer Dep.") at 71:19-73:2 [Dkt. No. 61-12]; Defs.' Analysis of Material Facts at ¶ 5.
These six people then set out for the Chambers' apartment. Upon arriving they ascended the staircase that led to the landing outside the apartment unit. The DBH employees and MPD officers stood at various points outside — on the stairs above the landing, on the landing itself, and on the stairs below the landing — and called for Mr. Chambers to come outside. These six are the only living eyewitnesses to what took place on the landing.
When Mr. Chambers presented himself at the door of the apartment he was shirtless, sweaty, and appeared highly agitated. He quickly became verbally combative with the officers. As a result, the Officers indicated that they wanted to put him in handcuffs before transporting him for treatment. Deposition of Valentina Chambers ("Chambers Dep.") at 31:10-32:2 [Dkt. No. 61-5]. All of this was consistent with what the Officers already believed — that they were dealing with an agitated, mentally-ill individual who was in need of assistance. Up to this point, there was no reason for them to use force against Mr. Chambers, nor did they do so.
The scene then quickly changed. Without provocation Mr. Chambers attacked the officers. First, he punched Officer Karabelas, causing him to fall backwards and hit his head on the wall behind him. Next he punched Officer Rose several times in the head. Finally, he punched Officer Shipman-Meyer in the face, causing a fracture to his left orbital bone.
It is uncontroverted that, at this point, Mr. Chambers had assaulted two of the officers, likely in violation of D.C. Code § 22-405(b), a misdemeanor, and had assaulted Officer Shipman-Meyer and likely caused him "significant bodily injury" in violation of D.C. Code § 22-405(c), a felony.
They did so, though precisely what occurred is obscured by the haze of battle
After she sprayed Mr. Chambers with pepper spray, it is undisputed that the struggle between the officers and Mr. Chambers then moved from the landing into the apartment. Additionally, it is undisputed that this transition took only a matter of seconds from the time that Mr. Chambers first attacked the officers. Defs.' MSJ at 9 (quoting the various officers' depositions). There is, however, a significant dispute as to how the officers and Mr. Chambers arrived in the apartment.
According to the account presented by Defendants, they were unable to control Mr. Chambers, who used his superior strength to drag Officers Rose and Shipman-Meyer — both of whom had grabbed on to some part of his body — backwards into the apartment. Defs.' Analysis of Material Facts at ¶ 16 (Mr. Chambers "overpowered" the two officers and "dragged them backwards ... against their will"); Defs.' MSJ at 8. Yet, that account does not comport with much of the evidence in the record.
First for example, Officer Karabelas, who had a hold of Mr. Chamber's right arm, makes no appearance in the Defendants' story.
Second, the testimony of Mr. Yingling directly contradicts the Defendants' account. He testified that the officers were able to successfully restrain Mr. Chambers' arms and knock him "off balance," sending him backwards into the apartment and down to the ground. Deposition of Gary Yingling ("Yingling Dep.") at 25:2-26:13 [Dkt. No. 61-13]. That testimony is partially confirmed by the depositions of Officers Karabelas and Rose, in which they describe having "locked-up" Mr. Chambers' right and left arms, respectively. Karabelas Dep. at 41:11-42:22, 48:5-13, 52:16-20; Deposition of Officer Rose ("Rose Dep.") at 22:7-11, 23:10-14 [Dkt. No. 61-11].
The significance of this dispute cannot be overstated. Central to the Defendants' narrative is the contention that Mr. Chambers was so strong and so violent that he was virtually uncontrollable throughout the encounter. Accordingly, Defendants assert that each of the progressively forceful measures deployed by the officers up to this point — punches, pepper spray, arm holds — failed to subdue Mr. Chambers. Defs.' MSJ at 16-17. Despite these efforts, they claim he was able to use his "super-human" strength to "drag [the officers]
However, when viewed in its entirety, there is contradictory record evidence. The record plausibly establishes that after the surprise of Mr. Chambers' attack had worn off, the officers were immediately able to gain a tactical advantage over him through a combination of their superior numbers and their own use of force — punches and pepper spray. It suggests that rather than Mr. Chambers dragging them backwards, the officers knocked him back; in other words, rather than their use of force being ineffective, it was a success.
The fight then spilled into the apartment. Valentina Chambers, Mr. Chambers' sister, and two other individuals were already inside the apartment, and came into the living room to see the commotion that was taking place.
Once inside the apartment the struggle continued, though, again, exactly what transpired is unclear.
Second, upon entering the apartment the officers almost immediately brought Mr. Chambers down to his knees. Chambers Dep. 20:15 ("[The officers] wrestled him to the ground.");
According to Defendants, at the point that Mr. Chambers was knocked to the ground but before he was placed in a chokehold, they became "separated" and lost sight of one another, with the mass of Mr. Chambers blocking the view of one of the Officers and any means of escape. Defs.' Reply at 7; Defs.' MSJ at 9. But Mr. Chambers was brought down almost instantaneously after entering the apartment, and it is not clear how he could block any of the officer's vision while on the ground. Furthermore, the room was quite small, so it is unclear how the officers could become "separated" or "fragmented" as they were no more than a few feet from one another.
From this kneeling position the officers were able to tackle Mr. Chambers to a prone position on the ground. By the time Mr. Chambers was in this prone position, Officer Shipman-Meyer had placed him in
According to Defendants, Mr. Chambers continued to resist after Officer Shipman-Meyer had placed him in the chokehold, and this necessitated the continued use of the chokehold until he was incapacitated and non-responsive.
In contrast, testimony from Ms. Chambers, Mr. Yingling, and several of the other officers suggests that the officers already had the upper hand and that Mr. Chambers was effectively subdued by this time. Chambers Dep. at 42:16-45:5 (stating that Mr. Chambers "couldn't fight back" because he was being held in a chokehold by one officer, with multiple other officers on top of him). Similarly, Officer LaDuca testified that Mr. Chambers was face down on his stomach with Officer Shipman-Meyer on top of Mr. Chambers' back, and that Mr. Chambers was completely surrounded by the other officers. Deposition of Officer LaDuca Dep. ("LaDuca Dep") at 41:22-45:22, 51:3-7 [Dkt. No. 61-9]. Indeed, she describes an extended sequence in which she attempted to strike Mr. Chambers with her ASP baton while he was on the ground and then repeatedly tried to pry
Officer Karabelas, in addition to Officer LaDuca, also saw Officer Shipman-Meyer on top of Mr. Chambers and testified that he had hold of one of Mr. Chambers arms. Karabelas Dep. at 57:3-8, 58:4-5. Similarly, Mr. Yingling testified that as soon as Mr. Chambers was taken to the ground he saw multiple officers restraining both of his arms. Yingling Dep. at 27:22-28:1.
None of the other officers — nor Mr. Yingling — saw Officer Shipman-Meyer place and maintain a chokehold on Mr. Chambers. This despite the fact that they were mere feet from Officer Shipman-Meyer when he was using the chokehold and that the use of the chokehold may well have lasted at least 30 seconds — which is at least as long as all the prior events in the encounter — if not several minutes longer.
For example, despite being directly above the two and with a clear vantage point, Officer LaDuca claims to have never seen Officer Shipman-Meyer place his arms around Mr. Chambers' neck. LaDuca Dep. at 50:21-51:1-2. Similarly, Officer Rose claims not to have seen Officer Shipman-Meyer with an arm around Mr. Chamber's neck, despite being mere inches or feet away from him. Rose Dep. at 29:19-21. Officer Karabelas did see Officer Shipman-Meyer with his arms around Mr. Chambers' neck or shoulder area, but was unable to see whether or not Officer Shipman-Meyer had placed him in a chokehold.
Officer Shipman-Meyer maintained the hold for some indeterminate amount of time, eventually releasing Mr. Chambers when he determined that Mr. Chambers had stopped moving. At this time the other officers who had been attempting to handcuff Mr. Chambers were finally able to do so. Very shortly after placing him in handcuffs, the officers noticed Mr. Chambers was non-responsive and in apparent medical distress. The officers agree that they rolled him into an upright position on the floor and checked his pulse and breathing, but none provided emergency first-aid assistance. One of the officers, possibly Officer LaDuca, called for an ambulance. Other officers arrived on the scene, and the four officers who were involved in the melee left the apartment. Some amount of time passed before an ambulance arrived and took Mr. Chambers for treatment, but he died en route to the hospital.
None of the following material questions are conclusively resolved by the record. Did Mr. Chambers possess such "super-human" strength, that it was impossible to control him, or did the officers immediately gain an advantage in their battle with him after the surprise of his attack had faded? Did Officer Shipman-Meyer use the chokehold as a last-ditch effort to gain control of Mr. Chambers or had he already been subdued at that point? Did Officer Shipman-Meyer maintain the chokehold for only the bare minimum of time necessary to handcuff Mr. Chambers, or did he maintain it for a significant period of time after Mr. Chambers had been subdued?
Having reviewed in great detail the testimony presented, by the various witnesses, the Court has no trouble concluding that there are material facts in dispute.
Summary judgment may be granted only if the pleadings, the discovery materials, and affidavits on file show that there is no genuine issue as to
The burden is on the moving party to demonstrate the absence of any genuine issues of material fact.
In reviewing the evidence on a motion for summary judgment, the court views the evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party and draws all inferences in her favor.
Plaintiff brings two distinct sets of claims in this action. First, he brings claims based on a federal statute, 42 U.S.C. § 1983, against all four officers alleging that they violated his father's constitutional rights. Second, he brings a number of claims based on the laws of the District of Columbia against the officers and the District itself. The Court begins with Plaintiff's federal claims before turning to his claims based on the laws of the District.
Count Three of Plaintiff's Complaint alleges that the four officers violated his father's rights under the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution to be free from excessive force. First, Plaintiff argues that Officer Shipman-Meyer violated his father's rights by using a chokehold on him. Second, Plaintiff argues that the other three officers violated his father's rights by failing to stop Officer Shipman-Meyer. The Court will deal with each claim in turn.
Plaintiff claims that Officer Shipman-Meyer used excessive force against Mr. Chambers and thereby violated 42 U.S.C. § 1983, and has moved for summary judgment.
"In order to protect officers from undue interference with their duties and from potentially disabling threats of liability, qualified immunity shields federal officials from damages suits for actions taken while carrying out their official duties."
In deciding a motion for summary judgment on the basis of qualified immunity, the plaintiff is the non-moving party, and the Court resolves all issues of material fact in her favor.
Defendants argue that Officer Shipman-Meyer is entitled to qualified immunity because his use of a chokehold on Mr. Chambers was reasonable and therefore did not violate the Fourth Amendment.
"Apprehension of a suspect through deadly force, i.e., killing him, qualifies as a Fourth Amendment seizure, and is therefore unlawful unless objectively reasonable in light of the facts and circumstances confronting [the officer]."
The Court "give[s] careful attention to the facts and circumstances of the particular case, including the severity of the crime at issue, whether the suspect poses an immediate threat to the safety of the officer or others, and whether he is actively resisting arrest or attempting to evade arrest by flight."
In assessing an officer's use of deadly force, the test does not differ from a claim involving less-than-deadly force; the sole inquiry is whether the force used was objectively reasonable.
In this case, the Court is called upon to determine whether Officer Shipman-Meyer's use of a chokehold on Mr. Chambers was reasonable. In order to make this assessment, the Court begins with a discussion of the chokehold procedure.
The term "chokehold" is imprecise, as it encompasses two seemingly distinct control procedures. One of these procedures is the "carotid hold" in which "an officer positioned behind a subject places one arm around the subject's neck and holds the wrist of that arm with his other hand. The officer, by using his lower forearm and bicep muscle, applies pressure concentrating on the carotid arteries located on the sides of the subject's neck. The carotid hold is capable of rendering the subject unconscious by diminishing the flow of oxygenated blood to the brain."
The term "chokehold" may also refer to "tracheal holds," also known as "bar arm" holds. Yamasaki Report at 1;
The two procedures are often discussed as though they are wholly distinct. In practice it is difficult to apply one without also applying the other. Yamasaki Report at 1. For example, an officer may seek to place an individual in a carotid hold but inadvertently apply pressure to the subject's trachea, cutting off air flow to the subject's lungs as well as his brain.
It is self-evident that both forms of chokeholds are potentially lethal. To live, a human needs oxygenated blood to be delivered to the brain and needs a sufficient amount of oxygen to be delivered to the lungs. Chokeholds arrest these processes, and if held for a sufficient amount of time necessarily carry the potential for death.
The nature of a chokehold informs the excessive force analysis in subtle, but significant ways. While some applications of force, such as a gunshot, are instantaneous and discrete, the application of a chokehold is not; it is, instead, continuous. When an officer shoots an individual, there is a single decision point, whether or not to pull the trigger. Thus, in determining whether an officer's shooting of an individual was reasonable, the analysis properly focuses on what transpired before she pulled the trigger.
In contrast, a chokehold is applied to a subject and then held for some indeterminate period of time. Once applied, the officer retains the ability to release the hold. Consequently, in the context of a chokehold case, the analysis of whether an officer acted reasonably focuses not only on the decision to apply the hold in the first instance but also on the officer's continued application of the hold. An officer may act reasonably in initially placing a subject in a chokehold — because the subject poses a threat — but act unreasonably in her continued application of the hold because the threat has passed.
With these principals in mind, the Court analyzes the facts, known to Officer Shipman-Meyer from the time he first placed Mr. Chambers in a chokehold until the time he released him, in order to determine whether the Officer's conduct was reasonable. Officer Shipman-Meyer knew that Mr. Chambers was an agitated, mentally-ill man, who had threatened or menaced the DBH employees, but he had no reason to believe that Mr. Chambers had committed a crime or was armed.
Very soon after the officers' arrival at the Chambers' residence, Mr. Chambers became violent, launching a surprise attack against Officer Shipman-Meyer and his colleagues. They responded with force, punching and pepper spraying him, and quickly knocked him to his knees and then to the ground. Once on the ground, two of the officers effectively restrained Mr. Chambers' arms, while Officer Shipman-Meyer straddled his back. All the while Officer LaDuca stood at the ready to assist her fellow officers. At this point, the officers had effectively subdued Mr. Chambers.
At some point during all this chaos — but certainly no later than when Officer Shipman-Meyer was on top of Mr. Chambers' back — Officer Shipman-Meyer put him in a chokehold. Yet, once Mr. Chambers was subdued — and despite the fact that he was outnumbered, did not possess a weapon, had never attempted to grab a weapon, and that his crime was assaulting the officers with his bare hands — Officer Shipman-Meyer continued choking him — potentially
The use of force on a suspect who has already been subdued is plainly excessive.
Accordingly, courts have consistently held that officers may not continue to use chokeholds and other similarly lethal restraints on a suspect after he has been subdued.
The reason for such a rule is obvious: once an individual has been effectively subdued, she no longer poses a significant threat to the officers or others, and therefore the need to use force has ended.
In
In
The Court held that the officers should have known that restraining Weigel in this manner was potentially lethal.
In this case, Mr. Chambers was significantly outnumbered by the police. Three officers had effectively pinned Mr. Chambers to the ground and gained control of
Officer Shipman-Meyer was aware of all of these relevant facts, and it should have been obvious to him that the extended use of a chokehold was potentially lethal.
Moreover, the fact that Mr. Chambers resisted the officers' attempts to handcuff him and was not handcuffed until after the chokehold was released does not alter the analysis. A number of courts have held that it is unreasonable for an officer to use a chokehold in order to make an arrest, simply because the individual resists being handcuffed.
In
Thompson emerged from the car, and two of the many officers on hand attempted to subdue him. Thompson punched one of the two officers, which resulted in a physical struggle.
Despite Thompson's potential drug crime, attempt to flee from arrest, violent assault of a police officer, and subsequent attempts to resist being handcuffed and arrested, the court held that the officer was not entitled to qualified immunity.
Similarly in
On this set of facts the court held that a jury could find that the officer's use of the chokehold was excessive and unreasonable.
The Defendants' counterarguments are unpersuasive. The Defendants claim that the following factors, when considered in their totality, justify Officer Shipman-Meyer's use of deadly force: the officers were injured, exhausted, and losing their battle with Mr. Chambers when Officer Shipman-Meyer placed him in a chokehold; additional individuals were present in the apartment, instilling further fear in the officers; and Mr. Chambers continued to resist throughout the encounter and had been extremely violent at its outset.
As to the first factor — whether the officers were losing their battle with Mr. Chambers — that is a question of fact for the jury. As discussed above, even accepting the officers' claim that they were injured and exhausted, there is evidence in the record suggesting that the officers had effectively subdued Mr. Chambers despite their physical condition. Accordingly, a jury could reasonably choose to disbelieve Defendants' account and conclude that continued application of the chokehold was unreasonable and excessive.
As to the presence of other individuals in the apartment, that fact is wholly unpersuasive. There was no basis for suspecting that those individuals were criminals or coconspirators, because the officers were there on a mental health call, not in response to a report of criminal activity.
The fact that Mr. Chambers attacked the officers does not change this calculus because — from the officers' vantage point — his violence was the result of a mental health issue and not connected to any underlying criminal activity. While the presence of criminal accomplices may increase the danger perceived by a reasonable officer, the Defendants fail to identify any case in which the presence of innocent bystanders validates a heightened perception of danger by an officer. As the officers had no objective basis for perceiving these other individuals as a threat, their presence does not justify any additional force beyond that which was reasonable had they not also been in the apartment.
Defendants' argument that use of the chokehold was justified by Mr. Chambers' continued resistance also fails. The evidence, viewed in a light most favorable to plaintiff, casts doubt on the notion that Defendant was violently resisting when he was placed in a chokehold. Instead, the record suggests that after the initial punches thrown on the landing, Mr. Chambers did not throw or land a single punch, kick or other blow, at least in part because the officers had successfully subdued him.
The officers argue that even if he was unable to land another blow, Mr. Chambers continued to struggle while he was on the ground and in a chokehold. The only real description of what this struggle entailed was given by Officer Shipman-Meyer who described Mr. Chambers as "flailing" and "rolling." Shipman-Meyer Dep. 80:14-21, 87:17-88:4.
Yet, as Plaintiff's expert points out, such behavior is a virtually automatic, subconscious response to being manually asphyxiated. Yamasaki Report at 3. That an individual, who is literally being choked to death, would flail in response would be obvious to any reasonable person, including Officer Shipman-Meyer. Accordingly, the Court cannot credit Defendants' attempts to characterize these movements as violent resistance. In light of the other evidence suggesting that Mr. Chambers was effectively subdued, these movements, whatever they were, would not justify Officer Shipman-Meyer's continued use of the chokehold.
Ultimately, the heart of the Defendants' argument is that Mr. Chambers had violently attacked the officers, and therefore, it was reasonable for Officer Shipman-Meyer to place him in a chokehold until he was handcuffed. Defendants' argument ignores the evidence suggesting that Officer Shipman-Meyer continued to choke Mr. Chambers after the officers had effectively subdued him. There is a clear "prohibition against significant force against a subdued suspect ... notwithstanding a suspect's previous behavior...."
For all these reasons, the Court finds that a jury could reasonably conclude that Officer Shipman-Meyer's use of a chokehold was objectively unreasonable and violated Mr. Chambers' rights under the Fourth Amendment.
Though a reasonable jury could conclude that Officer Shipman-Meyer used excessive
This prong of the qualified immunity analysis "begin[s] by establishing the appropriate level of generality at which to analyze the right at issue."
"To determine whether the officer[] `strayed beyond clearly established bounds of lawfulness,' [the court] look[s] first to `cases of controlling authority.'"
It is clear that as of June 8, 2012, a reasonable officer would have been on notice that she could not choke to death an unarmed subject who had already been subdued by fellow officers. An officer may use deadly force where a suspect "pose[s] an actual and imminent threat to the lives" of the officer or others.
Moreover, a number of Courts of Appeals have held that once a suspect has been subdued, officers may not continue to use potentially-lethal methods of restraint, such as chokeholds.
When viewed in a light most favorable to Plaintiff, the facts suggest that Mr. Chambers was already subdued and that a reasonable officer in that situation would have recognized that continuing to keep Mr. Chambers in a chokehold was unreasonable, excessive, and in violation of the law as it stood at the time. For that reason Officer Shipman-Meyer is not entitled to qualified immunity.
Plaintiff has also moved for summary judgment on his claim of excessive force
It is undisputed that Mr. Chambers launched a surprise attack on the officers, seriously injuring one of them. The officers then attempted to restrain him, but their punches and pepper spray had little effect on him. Instead, Mr. Chambers used his super-human strength to drag them backwards into the apartment, where they all fell to the ground. As the officers were outmatched and unable to control Mr. Chambers, Officer Shipman-Meyer used a last-ditch maneuver to bring him to the ground. He immediately placed him in a carotid hold, which lasted the minimum time necessary to render Mr. Chambers unconscious, no more than twenty seconds. At that point, with Mr. Chambers finally subdued, Officer Shipman-Meyer released the hold, and his fellow officers handcuffed Mr. Chambers.
Under those facts, a rational jury could conclude that Officer Shipman-Meyer reasonably feared for his own life and those of his fellow officers and, therefore, that his use of a chokehold was objectively reasonable. It is true that both
In addition, Plaintiff cannot demonstrate that the right to be free of force under these circumstances was clearly established at the time of the incident. Specifically, Plaintiff cannot demonstrate that a reasonable officer would be on notice that he was prohibited from using a chokehold on a violently resisting suspect who he and his fellow officers were
Whether Officer Shipman-Meyer continued to choke Mr. Chambers after he had been subdued is the key fact in the qualified immunity analysis. But it is also one of the central facts in dispute. Accordingly, neither the Defendants nor Plaintiff are entitled to summary judgment on the qualified immunity issue because this case "presents the exceptional situation in which the [] court cannot complete its qualified immunity analysis without first determining disputed material facts."
Plaintiff also argues that the other officers, LaDuca, Rose, and Karabelas, can be held liable for Officer Shipman-Meyer's use of a chokehold because they failed to intervene to stop him from violating Mr. Chamber's rights. Pl.'s Opp'n at 25-26. Both parties have moved for summary judgment on this claim, but because there are issues of material fact in dispute, neither party is entitled to it.
"[A] plaintiff can show that [an] officer is liable under a theory of bystander liability. Under that theory, an officer is held liable for a constitutional violation if he: (1) knows that a fellow officer is violating an individual's constitutional right; (2) has a reasonable opportunity to prevent the harm; and (3) chooses not to act."
In this case, there are significant issues of material fact in dispute that preclude judgment for either side. As discussed above, a jury could reasonably conclude from the record: 1) that Officer Shipman-Meyer held Mr. Chambers in a chokehold despite the fact he was subdued; 2) that this chokehold lasted for a significant period of time after Mr. Chambers was subdued; and 3) given the amount of time Mr. Chambers was in the chokehold and the fact that the other officers were mere feet from what transpired, that they saw all of this.
First, should a jury resolve those questions in favor of the Plaintiff, all three elements of bystander liability would be satisfied. The three other officers were present for the entire sequence of events, and thus, may well have observed everything that Officer Shipman-Meyer did, contrary to their denials.
Second, given that Mr. Chambers was subdued by the officers, when the facts are viewed in a light most favorable to Plaintiff, a jury could also reasonably conclude that the other officers had a reasonable opportunity to prevent the violation by getting Officer Shipman-Meyer to release the chokehold. Third, there is no evidence in the record that any of the officers did
By the same token, when the facts are viewed in a light most favorable to the other officers, Plaintiff is not entitled to summary judgment. Given that the chokehold may have lasted no more than fifteen to twenty seconds and that the officers claim they were all attempting to restrain Mr. Chambers during the midst of a violent struggle, a jury could reasonably credit the officers' testimony that they did not see Officer Shipman-Meyer place Mr. Chambers in a chokehold. If the other officers did not see Officer Shipman-Meyer use the chokehold, Plaintiff cannot show that they were aware that his rights were being violated. That alone is sufficient to defeat Plaintiff's theory of bystander liability, and thus precludes summary judgment on his behalf.
Consequently, neither party is entitled to summary judgment on the claim of bystander liability against Officers LaDuca, Rose, and Karabelas.
The remainder of Plaintiff's claims are brought pursuant to the laws of the District of Columbia. The Court begins with Count Two, claiming that the officers committed an assault and battery. FAC at ¶¶ 14-17. Next, the Court turns to Count One, claiming that Officer Shipman-Meyer was negligent in his use of a chokehold. FAC at ¶¶ 8-13. The Court then addresses Count Five, claiming that the District was negligent in its training of officers on the use of chokeholds. FAC ¶¶ at 26-32. Finally, the Court addresses Count Four, claiming wrongful death. FAC at ¶¶ 23-25.
Plaintiff alleges that each of the officers committed an assault and battery in violation of District of Columbia law. He advances two theories of liability in support of this claim. Pl.'s Opp'n at 27-28. First, Plaintiff argues that Officer Shipman-Meyer's use of a chokehold constitutes assault and battery.
Defendants argue that Officer Shipman-Meyer had a qualified privilege to use a chokehold on Mr. Chambers and that he is therefore entitled to summary judgment. Defs.' MSJ at 19-21.
Just as qualified immunity is a shield against liability in Section 1983 excessive force claims, qualified privilege protects officers in common law claims of assault and battery.
In addressing Plaintiff's Section 1983 claims, the Court concluded that a rational jury could conclude that Officer Shipman-Meyer's use of a chokehold was not objectively reasonable. That conclusion applies with equal force to the claim of qualified privilege. Accordingly, Officer Shipman-Meyer is not entitled to qualified privilege on Plaintiff's assault and battery claim at the summary judgment stage.
Plaintiff is also not entitled to summary judgment on his assault and battery claim. In his deposition, Officer Shipman-Meyer testified to his subjective fear for his life. Defs.' Analysis of Material Facts at ¶ 24. And, as discussed above, when the evidence is viewed in a light most favorable to the Defendants a rational jury could conclude that his use of force was objectively reasonable. Accordingly, a jury could reasonably conclude that Officer Shipman-Meyer had a qualified privilege to place and maintain a chokehold on Mr. Chambers.
Consequently, neither party is entitled to summary judgment on the issue of whether Officer Shipman-Meyer committed assault and battery.
Defendants argue that they are entitled to summary judgment on Plaintiff's theory that one or more of the other three officers — Karabelas, LaDuca, or Rose — aided and abetted Officer Shipman-Meyer because it is without merit.
In the District of Columbia, a person aiding or abetting the principal offender in the commission of a crime is held as liable as the principal. D.C. Code § 22-1805. "Aiding and abetting is established if the accused `in some sort associated himself with the venture, participated in it as in something that he wished to bring about, and sought by his action to make it succeed.'"
Plaintiff's aiding and abetting claim is without any merit because he has presented no evidence establishing a community of unlawful intent between Officer Shipman-Meyer and any of the other three officers. There is no evidence that any of these three shared an intent with Officer Shipman-Meyer that he unnecessarily choke, let alone harm, Mr. Chambers. At best, the evidence suggests that they intended to restrain Mr. Chambers, which was entirely lawful given his assault of the officers, and that when Officer Shipman-Meyer used a chokehold to do so, they did not actively intervene once it became clear that the chokehold was no longer necessary. Those facts are insufficient to establish the requisite criminal state of mind on the part of any of the other officers.
Therefore, Defendants are entitled to summary judgment on the claim that Officers Karabelas, LaDuca, and Rose aided and abetted an assault and battery.
Plaintiff alleges in his First Amended Complaint that Officer Shipman-Meyer's use of a chokehold violated a national standard of care and was therefore negligent. FAC at ¶ 11.
Plaintiff argues that the District of Columbia Limitation on the Use of the Chokehold Act of 1985 ("Chokehold Act"), D.C. Law 6-77, establishes such a heightened standard of care. First, it prohibits officers from ever using tracheal holds. DC Code Ann. § 5-125.03(a). Second, it prohibits officers from using carotid holds unless: 1) an officer has been trained in the use of carotid holds; and 2) lethal force is necessary to protect the life of a civilian or another officer.
In Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment, he advances three distinct theories of negligence based on the Chokehold Act. First, he argues that Officer Shipman-Meyer applied a tracheal hold to Mr. Chambers, and that this was negligent in light of the statute's prohibition on tracheal holds. Pl.'s MSJ at 8-11. Alternatively, he argues that even if Officer Shipman-Meyer used a carotid hold, he was negligent because he had not received training on the use of carotid holds, which is a prerequisite to their use. Pl.'s MSJ at 17-18. Finally, he argues that Officer Shipman-Meyer was negligent because he failed to immediately provide first aid and emergency medical treatment to Mr. Chambers after he was subdued as required by the Chokehold Act. Pl.'s MSJ at 18-19. Plaintiff has moved for summary judgment on all three theories.
Defendants have also cross-moved for summary judgment. First, they argue that Plaintiff cannot state a claim for negligence, because the allegedly negligent conduct is wholly subsumed within his assault and battery claim. Defs.' MSJ at 21-22. Second, Defendants argue that — as a matter of law — Officer Shipman-Meyer did not proximately cause injuries to Mr. Chambers, because Mr. Chambers' assault of the officers was an intervening and superseding cause of his injuries.
Defendants argue that Plaintiff cannot state a claim for negligence that is distinct from his claim for assault and battery. Defs'. MSJ at 21-22 (citing
"Under District of Columbia law, a plaintiff who simultaneously asserts claims for negligence and assault and battery based on excessive force must ensure that the negligence claim is: (1) `distinctly pled;' (2) `based upon at least one factual scenario that presents an aspect of negligence apart from the use of excessive force itself;' and (3) `violative of a distinct standard of care.'"
Second, all three of Plaintiff's theories of negligence are "based upon at least one factual scenario that presents an aspect of negligence apart from the use of excessive force itself."
Alternatively, Plaintiff argues that if Officer Shipman-Meyer used a carotid hold, he violated the standard of care because he was not trained in their use as required by statute. Whether Officer Shipman-Meyer was trained in the use of carotid holds is factually distinct from the question of whether the circumstances made it reasonable to place Mr. Chambers in a carotid hold in the first place. For the very same reason, Plaintiff's argument that Officer Shipman-Meyer failed to treat Mr. Chambers after he had been subdued is totally factually distinct from the facts underlying his assault and battery claim.
Third, Plaintiff's allegations satisfy the final
Consequently, Plaintiff's claims that Officer Shipman-Meyer acted negligently are distinct from his assault and battery claims.
Defendants also argue that even if Plaintiff could establish that Officer Shipman-Meyer caused Chambers' death, Chambers' original assault on the officers was a superseding cause of his own injuries, and therefore that Plaintiff cannot succeed on his negligence claim as a matter of law. Defs.' MSJ at 22-24.
Plaintiff counters that the Chokehold Act establishes the relevant standard of care, and on its face, the Chokehold Act appears to fully foresee violent conduct such as that committed by Mr. Chambers. A statute or regulation may establish the relevant standard of care where its purpose is, in part, to protect a particular class of persons or to protect against a particular type of harm.
The Chokehold Act appears to be precisely this kind of public safety statute. The Chokehold Act establishes strict limits on the use of chokeholds by the police.
Moreover, the text of the statute suggests that these protections were intended to apply to individuals in Mr. Chambers' position. The Chokehold Act categorically bans the use of tracheal holds "by any police officer ... under any circumstances." DC Code Ann. § 5-125.03(a). It also bans the use of carotid holds, "except under those circumstances and conditions under which the use of lethal force is necessary to protect the life of a civilian or a law enforcement officer."
Thus, on its face, the Chokehold Act contemplates that police officers may confront an individual who is so violent, that she poses a threat to the life of the officer or others. Even under such extreme circumstances, the Chokehold Act establishes a standard of care police must comply with by: 1) prohibiting the use of tracheal holds; and 2) only allowing carotid holds by officers trained in their use. In all other circumstances, including those where a suspect is violent but does not threaten the lives of the officers or others, the Chokehold Act bars police officers from using either tracheal or carotid holds.
Thus, in enacting the Chokehold Act, the Council appears to have fully foreseen the situation presented in this case — a suspect violently resisting the police — and it prescribed specific rules of conduct for the police to follow for the purpose of protecting that violent individual from the harm posed by chokeholds. Accordingly, Mr. Chambers' assault of the police officers does not appear to be an unforeseeable, superseding act.
Of course, this all presumes that the Chokehold Act is in fact a public safety
Unfortunately, the answer to that question has received little, if any, briefing on the merits by the Parties. In his First Amended Complaint, Plaintiff alleged that the Defendants' conduct was negligent because it violated a "national standard of care required of Police Officers in such circumstances." FAC at ¶ 11. However, a statute of the District of Columbia cannot establish a national standard of care, and therefore his First Amended Complaint did not properly raise this argument. It was not until he filed his Motion for Summary Judgment that Plaintiff first argued that the Chokehold Act established the governing standard of care.
The Court may disregard a claim raised for the first time in a memorandum of law.
Given that this is a question of first impression, involving the interpretation of a statute of the District of Columbia, and the absence of substantive briefing, Plaintiff's claim of negligence based on violations of the Chokehold Act is not properly before the Court and the Court will not consider it. Plaintiff may seek leave to amend his First Amended Complaint to include this claim.
However, with regard to Plaintiff's existing negligence claim contained in Count One of the First Amended Complaint, Plaintiff has not even attempted to establish the existence of a
Plaintiff also alleges that the District was negligent in failing to train its officers as to when chokeholds were authorized under the Chokehold Act. FAC at 26-32.
Defendants have moved for summary judgment, arguing that Mr. Chambers' assault on the police officers was an intervening and superseding factor and
The Defendants' arguments make far too much out of
In contrast, it should be foreseeable to any police department that its officers, in the regular course of duty, will encounter individuals who commit crimes, including assault on the officers themselves. Because violence against officers is foreseeable at the departmental-level, police department policies on the use of force must appropriately train the officers on how to respond.
Indeed, the history of negligent training claims in the District suggests that
As this is the only basis on which Defendants have moved for summary judgment on this count, their Motion must be denied.
Plaintiff has also moved for summary judgment, asserting that it is "axiomatic" that MPD's failure to train its officers on the use of force was negligent. Indeed, Plaintiff appears so sure of his claim that he has failed to cite to a single case or proposition of law in support.
As stated above, "in order to prevail on a negligence cause of action, the plaintiff must prove the applicable standard of care, a deviation from that standard by the defendant, and a causal relationship between that deviation and the plaintiff's injury."
Plaintiff's expert provided his opinion that the national standard of care requires a police force to train its officers on applicable laws and policies governing the use of force. Supplemental Expert Report by Robert Klotz ("Klotz Report"), Exh. 14 to Pl.'s MSJ [Dkt. No. 56-1]. He further opined that MPD deviated from that standard of care, because MPD does not properly train officers on the limitations established in the Chokehold Act.
Plaintiff has not moved for summary judgment on their wrongful death claim but Defendants have done so.
Plaintiff's wrongful death claim is based on D.C. Code § 16-2701. The Parties agree that to succeed under the statute, Plaintiff must prove both: 1) an "underlying tort (common law or constitutional);" and 2) "injury to the survivor," here Mr. Ingram.
Defendants argue that they are entitled to summary judgment because Plaintiff cannot show any underlying tort. Defs.' MSJ at 24-25. However, as discussed above, Plaintiff certainly has a viable claim of assault and battery under DC law. That is sufficient to maintain his claim for wrongful death. Accordingly, Defendants are denied summary judgment on this Count.
For the foregoing reasons, the judgment of the Court is as follows:
Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment is denied in its entirety;
Plaintiff's claims that Officer Shipman-Meyer's conduct was negligent, in light of a standard of care established by the Chokehold Act, were improperly raised for the first time in a memorandum of law and are not properly before the Court;
Nonetheless, Plaintiff may seek leave to further amend its First Amended Complaint to include these negligence claims;
Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment is granted in part, as to Count One of Plaintiff's First Amended Complaint, in so far as it alleges negligence based on violation of a national standard of care, and as to Count Two, in so far as it alleges that Officers Karabelas, LaDuca, and Rose aided and abetted Officer Shipman-Meyer's assault and battery of Mr. Chambers, and denied in part, as to all other remaining Counts.
All four of the officers were engaged in a struggle with Mr. Chambers, and their respective stories reflect the fact that their participation limited their ability to testify clearly or conclusively about what occurred. However, neither Mr. Yingling nor Ms. Chambers were participants in the struggle and were able to see the entirety of what transpired next. Yingling Dep. 32:13-17 (stating he head a "clear, unimpeded view"); Chambers Dep. 21:5-22:12 (stating she was three to five steps away from the struggle).
Thus, even crediting the officers' testimony implies that Officer Shipman-Meyer held Mr. Chambers in a chokehold for at least 20-30 seconds, assuming the encounter lasted no more than a minute. To the extent the encounter lasted two minutes, then Officer Shipman-Meyer would have held him in a chokehold for up to 90 seconds, although no one directly testified that the chokehold lasted that long. And if Officer Shipman-Meyer used "a couple minutes" in the colloquial sense to mean "a few minutes," it may have been even longer.
Moreover, Plaintiff has introduced evidence of the extent and nature of Mr. Chambers' injuries which suggest that he was subject to a tracheal choke hold. See Expert Report of Dr. Jonathan Arden ("Arden Report") [Dkt. No. 61-1]; Expert Report of Fernando Yamasaki, Exh. 9 to Pl.'s MSJ at 4 [Dkt. No. 56-1] ("Yamasaki Report") (stating that Mr. Chambers neck was so large, Officer Shipman-Meyer would have been unable to place him in a pure carotid choke). Plaintiff has also introduced evidence indicating that a tracheal chokehold takes up to three minutes to render a subject unconscious, as may have occurred with Mr. Chambers.
When viewed in a light most favorable to Plaintiff, the facts suggest that some if not all of the other officers saw Officer Shipman-Meyer use a chokehold. Again, the facts suggest that he may have employed the chokehold for minutes. While it was used, the other officers were within feet, perhaps inches, of Officer Shipman-Meyer. Under those circumstances, the other officers' testimony that they did not see any use of a chokehold is implausible.
