JONATHAN W. FELDMAN, Magistrate Judge.
Tina Cabisca ("plaintiff" or "Cabisca") brought this action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against the City of Rochester, several Rochester Police Department ("RPD") officers, and one Animal Control officer asserting constitutional violations as well as various state law causes of action arising from her arrest on September 7, 2013.
On September 21, 2017, the Court granted defendants' motion for summary judgment with respect to plaintiff's claims for trespass, abuse of legal process, injury to property, and municipal liability against the City of Rochester. Docket # 45. The City of Rochester was subsequently terminated as a defendant, as all claims pending against it were dismissed.
Prior to trial, defendant Investigator Nolan Wengert ("Investigator Wengert" or "Wengert") passed away. His parents, Maryrose and Earl Wengert, as co-executors of his estate, were substituted as parties. Docket # 85.
After the close of plaintiff's proof at trial, defense counsel made a motion for a directed verdict
Thus, the causes of action remaining in the case are plaintiff's 42 U.S.C. § 1983 claims for the fatal shooting of plaintiff's dog under the Fourth Amendment, excessive force, and malicious prosecution, and plaintiff's state law claims of battery and false arrest against Officer Jason Prinzi ("Officer Prinzi" or "Prinzi"), Officer Daryl Hogg ("Officer Hogg" or "Hogg"), and Maryrose and Earl Wengert as the co-executors of Wengert's estate. Plaintiff seeks compensatory and punitive damages. Docket # 1. A bench trial was held from February 19, 2019 to February 21, 2019. The parties submitted their post-trial proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law on August 6, 2019. Docket ## 110, 111.
For purposes of this Decision and Order, familiarity with the pre-trial record in this case is assumed. That familiarity is important because it pays tribute to the difficulties encountered by this Court — largely unnecessary and attributable to the distrust between counsel — in resolving discovery disputes and pre-trial motions in an effort to set the parameters of the issues to be tried.
The non-jury trial itself confirmed the conflicting versions of what occurred on the evening of September 7, 2013. Many of the factual conflicts between the parties are so divergent that they cannot both be true. This Court is not required by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 52(a) to reconcile the irreconcilable.
Accordingly, the following constitute the Court's findings of fact and conclusions of law.
1. On September 7, 2013, plaintiff's family was cleaning out her garage at 207 Kingsboro Road of items they had stored there. At some point during their cleaning they placed two children's bikes on the curb between Cabisca's sidewalk and the street for anyone to take. February 20, 2019 Trial Transcript ("Tr. 2"), Docket # 107, at 189-91.
2. Later that evening, Tyrone Flowers ("Flowers"), who also lived on Kingsboro Road, took the two bikes and began walking them down the road to his house. Tr. 3, at 352, 355. Flowers had a six-year-old child at the time. According to Flowers, the bikes appeared to be for children between the ages of six and eight years old, and looked "abandoned," so he took them. Tr. 3, at 355.
3. As Flowers walked to his home with the bikes, he saw a gray Impala driving up the street. Tr. 3, at 356. Flowers testified that the man who was driving the gray Impala came into his front yard and demanded that Flowers get on the ground. The man refused to identify himself (Tr. 3, at 357) but was later identified as Investigator Wengert.
4. Not only was Wengert driving an unmarked car, but he was not wearing a police uniform. Tr. 3, at 357.
5. Although he was directed to get on the ground, Flowers did not comply because Wengert would not identify himself. Tr. 3, at 357. Flowers testified that "[t]hen he grabbed me and threw me to the ground and that's when he appeared to put the handcuffs on me. When he pulled out his radio, that's when I found out that, yeah, he's a cop." Tr. 3, at 357-58.
6. Wengert called for backup. Tr. 3, at 358. He told Flowers he had been stopped because Wengert saw Flowers with the bikes and there was "a lot of theft going on in this area." Tr. 3, at 358.
7. Two uniformed officers, whom Flowers identified as Officers Hogg and Prinzi, appeared on the scene.
8. The officers put the two bikes into one of the police vehicles and drove to plaintiff's home at 207 Kingsboro Road. Tr. 3, at 360. As they approached 207 Kingsboro Road, Flowers told the officers that "she got dogs," referring to Cabisca. Tr. 3, at 361.
9. The driveway of 207 Kingsboro Road runs up along the left side of plaintiff's house, past a side door, and ends at a detached garage behind the home.
10. In front of a row of bushes just below the porch is a small blue, rectangular "Invisible Fence" sign. Pl.'s Exs. 2A, 2D, 2F. A faint groove extends horizontally across the driveway from the Invisible Fence sign, marking the boundary of the Invisible Fence.
11. At around 10:00 p.m. that evening, Cabisca was home in her kitchen doing the dishes while her four-year-old grandson and nine-month-old granddaughter were sleeping. Tr. 2, at 191-92.
12. Cabisca had three dogs in her home: A 13-year-old border collie, Teddy; a seven-year-old boxer, Rocco; and a four-year-old boxer, Bailey. Tr. 2, at 192-93, 207. Each dog was "about 60, 65 pounds." Tr. 2, at 194. Cabisca described Bailey as a "lover. She was just the dog that would come up, put her head on your lap and need to be loved." Tr. 2, at 307.
13. Cabisca testified that each of her dogs wore an Invisible Fence "collar [that] lets them know that they're close [to the fence] and if they proceed, they're going to get zapped ... if the dogs come up like within 2 feet of that, they're going to get an indicator on their collar that they shouldn't go any further." Tr. 2, at 203-05.
14. Cabisca further testified that "[e]ach dog had to go through a training period and you stay with them until they clearly understand how far they can go and then — and then I can open my door and let my dog out and I know that they're not going to go anywhere." Tr. 2, at 206. Bailey "wore her collar always" and was wearing it on September 7, 2013. Tr. 2, at 203.
15. When Wengert, Prinzi, and Hogg arrived at Cabisca's home, Wengert walked up onto Cabisca's covered front porch, rang the doorbell, and knocked on the door. Pl.'s Ex. 17, at 51, 53.
16. Not expecting visitors, Cabisca exited through her side door to see what was happening outside her home and Bailey exited the side door with her. Tr. 2, at 212. Bailey was trotting a little bit ahead of Cabisca by "about 3 feet." Tr. 2, at 216. The witnesses dispute whether Bailey was barking or growling. Tr. 2, at 216-17; Tr. 3, at 364, 452. Upon review of the evidence, the Court finds that Bailey was barking as she came down the driveway.
17. Wengert, perceiving that Bailey was charging at him, backed up quickly onto the porch and drew his pistol. Pl.'s Ex. 17, at 57-58. The witnesses also dispute whether Bailey ever advanced up the front porch stairs. Pl.'s Ex. 17, at 54; Tr. 3, at 452-53, 481. Upon review of the evidence, the Court finds that Bailey was advancing onto the porch at the time she was fatally shot.
18. Wengert fired his gun twice, hitting Bailey. Pl.'s Ex. 17, at 57-58. Officer Prinzi heard the shots and saw Bailey collapse. Tr. 3, at 453.
19. The shot that killed Bailey entered on the side of her left front leg. Pl.'s Ex. 3C.
20. James Williams, Ph.D. testified for plaintiff and was qualified as an expert in the field of police behavior. Tr. 1, at 132;
21. Dr. Williams opined that Bailey could not have been charging at Wengert when she was shot because the Tueller 21 Foot Rule would have made it so that Wengert "would not have had time to release the catch on his holster, unholster his weapon, draw it, point it, and fire at an oncoming dog." Tr. 2, at 141.
22. As Dr. Williams explained,
Tr. 2, at 141-42; Pl.'s Ex. 15. Dr. Williams believed that the distance between the side door and the front door on the porch was less than 21 feet. Tr. 2, at 141.
23. Defense Exhibit 415 depicts the porch stairs with a deceased Bailey lying covered by a blanket at the bottom of the stairs. Defs.' Ex. 415. Three evidence markers are visible on the porch itself. There appears to be a small amount of a colored substance on the second step from the bottom. Defs.' Ex. 415. Dr. Williams testified that "on the stairs there's nothing that can be defined definitively. There may be tracks or marks on the steps but you can't tell what they are." Tr. 2, at 149. The marks on the steps, in Dr. Williams' opinion, "could be anything." Tr. 2, at 150.
24. On cross examination, Dr. Williams opined that, while a red coloration would be consistent with blood, all he could see on the steps depicted in Defense Exhibit 415 was some coloration or spotting, but he could not definitively say whether or not it was red. Tr. 2, at 153-54.
25. When Cabisca heard the shots that killed Bailey, she looked to her left to see a man pointing a gun in her direction and Bailey lying at the bottom of the steps in a pool of blood. Tr. 2, at 212, 214.
26. Cabisca did not have any reason to believe that Wengert was a law enforcement officer because he was not wearing a uniform. Tr. 2, at 212. It was Dr. Williams's opinion that Wengert did not follow proper police procedure when he went up onto Cabisca's porch to investigate the potential larceny, because Wengert was in plainclothes when he approached Cabisca's front door, not in a police uniform.
27. Cabisca bent down to tend to her dog and she "hear[d] a voice from over here telling [her] to get [her] dog under control." Tr. 2, at 214. She looked up to see whom she later identified as Officers Hogg and Prinzi "coming down [her] driveway and they also have their guns out pointed in [her] direction." Tr. 2, at 214.
28. At this point in her encounter with the police, Cabisca "still [didn't] even know why these people are here." Tr. 2, at 227-28. She testified that
Tr. 2, at 228.
29. Officer Prinzi testified that Cabisca "called us all fucking assholes" and he was not able to communicate with her as "[s]he would just speak over [him] and yell." Tr. 3, at 454.
30. Cabisca asked the officers for their identification and badge numbers and what they were doing at her house but the officers did not provide her with that information. Tr. 2, at 229. The officers asked her to step off her property with them, but Cabisca declined to do so because they would not tell her who they were or why they were there. Tr. 2, at 230.
31. One of the uniformed officers said to Cabisca "if you don't cooperate with us, we're going to arrest you." Tr. 2, at 230-31.
32. Cabisca stayed near Bailey at the bottom of the porch steps. Tr. 2, at 231. She "told them to step back away from me" putting her palms up and her arms forward. Tr. 2, at 232.
33. Officer Prinzi testified that Cabisca "with both hands, came and shoved" Officer Hogg: "Both palms out she walked up to Officer Hogg, put her hands on his chest and shoved him." Tr. 3, at 459-60. According to Prinzi, the shove "[k]nocked [Hogg] back at least a step or two." Tr. 3, at 460. According to plaintiff, she did not shove Hogg. Cabisca testified that Hogg walked directly into her outstretched arms. Tr. 2, at 234. Based on my consideration of the trial testimony, I find that plaintiff did push Hogg away from her, although it was probably not a push that would cause Hogg to fear for his safety, particularly given the size and weight differences between Officer Hogg and plaintiff.
34. Once Cabisca touched him, Officer Hogg said "that's it, you're going to jail." Tr. 3, at 463, 487-88;
35. Officer Hogg decided to arrest Cabisca on a charge of Harassment in the Second Degree and approached her to effectuate the arrest. Tr. 3, at 487. Cabisca tried to pull away from Officer Hogg. Tr. 2, at 318.
36. Officer Hogg considered Cabisca to be resisting arrest and decided to perform a straight arm bar technique to subdue her. Tr. 3, at 488. To do so, Officer Hogg testified that he "guided [Cabisca] to the ground" by "grabb[ing] [Cabisca's] right wrist with my right hand and then I put my hand on her shoulder which would have been her right side." Tr. 3, at 487-88.
37. In performing the straight arm bar technique, both Cabisca and Flowers testified that Hogg "threw [Cabisca] on the ground" and got on the top half of her body. Tr. 2, at 235; Tr. 3, at 374, 393-94. The Court found this testimony to be credible. Hogg had his elbow in plaintiff's chest area. Tr. 2, at 235-36.
38. Officer Prinzi put his elbows and knees onto the lower half of Cabisca's body, "leaning on [her] holding [the] bottom half of [her] body." Tr. 2, at 236, 319; Tr. 3, at 374, 394.
39. Cabisca was 52 years old, 5 feet, 2 inches tall, and 160 pounds at the time of her arrest.
40. While Cabisca was on the ground, Officer Hogg held Cabisca's arm behind her back and placed handcuffs on her. Tr. 3, at 489.
41. Once Cabisca was under the control of the officers, Officer Hogg put Cabisca on her side and asked her to bend into a "fetal position" to make it easier for him to roll her into a seated position for a "sit-up type of technique." Tr. 3, at 491.
42. Officer Hogg brought Cabisca to her feet. Tr. 3, at 492. He "tried to explain to her what was going on." Plaintiff told Hogg that she had children in the house. Hogg said he felt he "had to do something. We had to figure something out because I ... didn't trust those dogs." Tr. 3, at 492.
43. Hogg spoke with Wengert and Prinzi and decided to take off Cabisca's handcuffs to "allow her to go back in the house, maintain whatever she has to do with the children, make sure all the dogs are locked up and then make some phone calls because she's going to need an adult" so that the children were not left alone. Tr. 3, at 492.
44. When Cabisca came back out of her house, Officer Hogg placed her back into handcuffs and asked Officer Prinzi to escort her to a police vehicle on scene. Tr. 3, at 493.
45. Officer Turner, who was sitting in the police vehicle to which Cabisca was escorted, issued an appearance ticket charging Cabisca with Harassment in the Second Degree pursuant to New York State Penal Law section 240.26(1) and Resisting Arrest pursuant to New York State Penal Law section 205.30. Pl.'s Ex. 6; Docket # 1, at 5.
46. Animal Control Officer Berkstresser, who had been summoned to the scene following Bailey's shooting, issued three tickets, one for each dog Cabisca owned, for having unleashed dogs in violation of Rochester City Code section 31-4. Docket # 1, at 5; Pl.'s Ex. 6. In addition, Officer Berkstresser issued three more tickets to Cabisca, one for each dog Cabisca owned, for having dangerous dogs in violation of Rochester City Code section 31-7(A). Docket # 1, at 5; Pl.'s Ex. 6.
47. On October 22, 2013, the penal law charges were dismissed by City Court Judge Ellen Yacknin.
48. A hearing was held on October 30, 2013 regarding the dog-related tickets. Pl.'s Ex. 16. Although Cabisca was found guilty on two of the dog-related violations, she appealed and the tickets were dismissed on appeal on March 5, 2014. Pl.'s Ex. 8; Docket # 1, at 5-6.
49. When Cabisca was placed into the police vehicle after being handcuffed, she was "struggling to breathe." Tr. 2, at 243.
50. Cabisca's family arrived at the scene and she asked them to get her inhaler for her. Tr. 2, at 244. When her partner, Lee, finally brought the inhaler to her, her hands were still handcuffed behind her back so she could not use it. Tr. 2, at 245. She was having "major spasms in [her] chest wall." Tr. 2, at 255.
51. An ambulance was called to the scene. Tr. 3, at 466. Cabisca asked if the police were "going to take [her] right away to the hospital" but they said she had "to wait until [her] paperwork is done." Tr. 2, at 252-53.
52. Cabisca then asked her daughter if she could take her to Highland Hospital and her daughter drove her there. Tr. 2, at 254. Highland Hospital administered Toradol, an anti-inflammatory drug "[t]o decrease the swelling that was going on related to injuries and inability that were keeping [Cabisca] from getting a deep breath." Tr. 2, at 256. Cabisca was also given Valium "to relax those muscles so that [she] could get a breath." Tr. 2, at 256.
53. When Cabisca saw her primary care doctor on September 9, 2013, her doctor increased Cabisca's existing dosage of Cymbalta from 60 milligrams to 90 milligrams a day. Tr. 2, at 256-57. Cabisca had been taking Cymbalta to manage her fibromyalgia. Tr. 2, at 257. Cabisca testified that the medication "helps my anxiety and if I take that 30 milligrams away, then, you know, my anxiety is not controlled and so I, I tried not to take it and it didn't work." Tr. 2, at 257. Her primary care doctor also prescribed 2 milligrams of Valium which has since been increased to her current dosage of 10 milligrams. Tr. 2, at 258.
54. Cabisca had visible bruising on her left arm and scratches on her back stemming from the incident. Pl.'s Ex. 9. She admitted that "physically I think I've healed." Tr. 2, at 261.
55. Cabisca testified that her hospital visit cost her $1,100 and each visit to her primary care doctor cost her $90. Tr. 2, at 259-60. She estimated that she saw her primary care doctor at least ten times for injuries related to this lawsuit. Tr. 2, at 259-60.
56. Cabisca also began seeing a mental health therapist after the incident and she paid $88 out of pocket each appointment for at least 20 appointments. Tr. 2, at 289. Cabisca later switched to a new therapist whom she had seen every two weeks for three months at the time of trial. The new therapist charged her a $25 co-pay per visit. Tr. 2, at 290.
57. Cabisca testified that she decided to move to South Carolina as a result of the incident "[b]ecause it wasn't safe for [her] to live in [her] home." Tr. 2, at 262. She decided to move "within two weeks" of the incident. Tr. 2, at 264. Cabisca is a nurse and "[n]urses can't work in a state without a license." Tr. 2, at 262. Her license in South Carolina was "held up" because her "background check showed that [she] had been arrested for harassing the police and they wouldn't provide [her] a license until [she] provide[d] them with something that says, you know, it's dismissed." Tr. 2, at 262.
58. Cabisca testified that the events of September 7, 2013 have had a lasting impact on her personal life:
Tr. 2, at 284-85. Cabisca and her partner Lee are no longer together. Tr. 2, at 285.
59. Cabisca still owns her home at 207 Kingsboro Road and collects rental income from the property. Tr. 2, at 337-38. She testified that she does not live there or work in the City of Rochester because of the events of September 7, 2013. Tr. 2, at 288.
60. Charles Ewing, J.D., Ph.D. was qualified as plaintiff's expert witness to testify in the field of psychology and mental health. Tr. 1, at 7; Pl.'s Ex. 11.
61. Dr. Ewing reviewed Cabisca's mental health records, among other documents, and examined Cabisca in August 2015 for "three and a quarter hours" for purposes of rendering an expert opinion on plaintiff's psychological damages. Tr. 1, at 11-14;
62. Dr. Ewing testified that Cabisca developed post-traumatic stress disorder ("PTSD"), manifesting in plaintiff as depression, anxiety, and panic disorder, attributable to the events that transpired on September 7, 2013. Tr. 1, at 32-33.
63. Dr. Ewing found that plaintiff exhibited "subjective feelings of sadness on a regular basis, sleep difficulties, withdrawing from social contacts with other people, [and] isolating herself." Tr. 1, at 33. She also had "[f]eelings of tightness in the chest, difficulty breathing, feeling like she's going to die and [is] triggered by stimuli that reminded her of the incident." Tr. 1, at 33.
64. These feelings led Cabisca to exhibit "avoidance symptoms" where
Tr. 1, at 34-35.
65. Dr. Ewing also observed plaintiff's PTSD manifest through "hypervigilance": "She reported that wherever she was, she was constantly on the alert to make sure that nobody was there following her and there were no police officers near by." Tr. 1, at 36.
66. Dr. Ewing further noted that Cabisca's PTSD affected other parts of her life besides her work:
Tr. 1, at 36-37.
67. It was Dr. Ewing's opinion that Cabisca could eventually "function" with her symptoms if given the right medications and psychotherapy treatments, but that "[m]ost people who have post-traumatic stress disorder to this extent, they never really get over it. The symptoms can be treated and they can be made more comfortable and made to have a bit better life, but they don't outgrow or outlive these symptoms." Tr. 1, at 40.
1. The Fourth Amendment provides that "[t]he right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated."
2. "[T]he unreasonable killing of a companion animal constitutes an unconstitutional `seizure' of personal property under the Fourth Amendment."
3. Importantly, "[t]he calculus of reasonableness must embody allowance for the fact that police officers are often forced to make split-second judgments—in circumstances that are tense, uncertain, and rapidly evolving—about the amount of force that is necessary in a particular situation."
4. Application of the required calculus is often difficult and this case is no exception. On the one hand, the conduct of plaintiff in responding to an unannounced and unexpected stranger approaching her home was perfectly reasonable. She went outside to see who was at her home and one of her dogs, Bailey, accompanied her. Plaintiff's installation of an electric fence ensured that Bailey would be deterred from going off of plaintiff's property and, indeed, the front porch area where Bailey was shot was clearly within the boundary she was trained to remain within. On the other hand, it was reasonable for Officer Wengert to approach plaintiff's house to determine whether Flowers's explanation about finding the bikes abandoned on the curb in front of Cabisca's residence was accurate and this was within his responsibilities as a police officer. I find that Cabisca was outside, with Bailey just in front of her, when officer Wengert encountered Bailey. It was dark out and Bailey was not a small dog. Bailey was also barking — a reasonable canine response to the presence of a stranger near her home — but also a noise that would justify some alarm and apprehension from Officer Wengert given the circumstances.
5. As the Second Circuit recognized in
6. For these reasons, as to this cause of action, I find for defendants. Although no consolation to plaintiff, it was a "perfect storm" of unforeseen events and reactions to those events that led to the tragic loss of plaintiff's dog. While plaintiff and Bailey did nothing wrong, under the facts found here, the Fourth Amendment does not afford her a remedy. Accordingly, the Court turns next to the conduct of defendants after Bailey was shot and killed.
7. The analysis required for determination of a claim alleging the use of excessive force during an arrest is well established:
8. Having set forth the applicable legal analysis, the Court turns to applying the law to the conduct of each relevant defendant.
9. As stated above, the severity of the crime is an important factor in the excessive force analysis. Officer Hogg determined that plaintiff had committed the offense of Harassment in the Second Degree. Harassment in the Second Degree is a violation under New York State law "for which a sentence to a term of imprisonment in excess of fifteen days cannot be imposed." N.Y. Penal Law §§ 10.00(3), 240.26. The severity of a crime of arrest is "unquestionably slight" for purposes of an excessive force claim when it is subject to a maximum penalty of fifteen days' imprisonment.
10. A police officer's right to make an arrest "necessarily carries with it the right to use some degree of physical coercion or threat thereof to effect it."
11. On the issue of whether the force used on Cabisca was reasonable or excessive, I found the expert testimony of Dr. Williams to be credible and compelling. Dr. Williams testified that a reasonably well-trained police officer is "authorized to use that amount of force necessary to offset the force being used against him." Tr. 2, at 143. In Dr. Williams's expert opinion, when officers are confronted with a citizen who is irate or hysterical, the "first step" is always to "deescalate the situation." Tr. 2, at 144. Dr. Williams defined the de-escalation process as follows:
Tr. 2, at 144.
12. Hogg failed to employ the process of de-escalation. Instead, he escalated the encounter by directing plaintiff to leave her front lawn and abandon her fatally wounded pet. When she balked by placing her hands in front of her and pushing him away, Hogg apparently lost his temper and abruptly announced to plaintiff: "[n]ow you're going to jail." Tr. 3, at 487.
13. Having decided to arrest plaintiff, Officer Hogg decided to employ a "straight arm bar technique" to forcibly bring Cabisca to the ground. The technique was demonstrated to the Court during the trial. Based on the trial testimony and the technique's demonstration, it is of little surprise to this Court that "[t]he plethora of excessive force cases show that the use of arm bar techniques to gain control of an arrestee often result in injury to the arrestee."
14. Even assuming for the sake of argument that use of the straight arm bar technique by Officer Hogg was reasonable, his conduct after he threw plaintiff to the ground was unreasonable, unnecessary, and involved the excessive use of force. Given the (1) chain of events leading up to the arrest, (2) nature of the offense plaintiff allegedly committed, (3) height and weight discrepancies between Officer Hogg and Cabisca, and (4) manpower advantage law enforcement had over plaintiff, it was unreasonable and excessive for Hogg to place his 190 pounds of weight on top of Cabisca, place his elbow in her chest, and then lean on her even harder when she said she could not breathe and had asthma.
15. As to whether Officer Hogg utilized more force than was necessary to effectuate the arrest of plaintiff for Harassment in the Second Degree, I find that plaintiff has met her burden of proof.
16. Although Officer Prinzi did not participate in forcibly taking plaintiff to the ground, for the reasons stated earlier I find that Prinzi did assist Hogg once plaintiff was face down on the ground. This assistance consisted of applying his body weight to plaintiff's lower body after Officer Hogg had forcibly put plaintiff on the ground. Tr. 2, at 319, 329-30.
17. Officer Prinzi, who weighed 200 pounds at the time of the arrest used his body weight and his elbows and knees to assist Officer Hogg in arresting plaintiff. As a result of the actions of both officers, plaintiff had close to 400 pounds of weight on top of her. This weight caused plaintiff to suffer bruises, breathing issues, and chest spasms severe enough that she required medical intervention. The Court, having already found that Officer Hogg's use of his bodyweight constituted excessive force, also concludes that Officer Prinzi's use of similar force was excessive in that it was more force than was reasonably necessary to be applied under the circumstances presented.
18. In making the above findings, the Court has taken into consideration the indisputable fact that "police officers are often forced to make split-second judgments — in circumstances that are tense, uncertain, and rapidly evolving — about the amount of force that is necessary in a particular situation."
19. Federal claims of false arrest implicate the Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable seizures.
20. "The existence of probable cause to arrest constitutes justification and is a complete defense to an action for false arrest, whether that action is brought under state law or under § 1983."
21. Plaintiff was arrested for,
22. I find that Cabisca's actions in shoving Officer Hogg by pushing her arms and hands forward as Officer Hogg approached her provided Hogg with probable cause to believe that plaintiff had committed the offense of Harassment in the Second Degree under New York State Law.
23. Because probable cause existed to arrest Cabisca for Harassment in the Second Degree, plaintiff's confinement was otherwise privileged.
24. "`In order to prevail on a § 1983 claim against a state actor for malicious prosecution, a plaintiff must show a violation of his rights under the Fourth Amendment and must establish the elements of a malicious prosecution claim under state law.'"
25. Based on plaintiff's arguments and submissions, the Court construes plaintiff's Fourth Cause of Action as one for malicious prosecution under § 1983. Nowhere does plaintiff indicate that this malicious prosecution claim arises under state law.
26. It is unclear from the complaint whether the plaintiff is claiming she was maliciously prosecuted on the dog-related violations tickets.
27. Defendants argue that plaintiff failed to sustain a malicious prosecution claim in light of
28. In
29. The dog-related tickets required plaintiff to make a single appearance at the Municipal Code Violations Bureau on October 6, 2013.
30. Moreover, plaintiff was not even required to make a "court" appearance but rather attend a civil administrative hearing. Pl.'s Ex. 16, at 12:10-20 ("No, this isn't a court. This is an administrative hearing.... Those [the Penal Law charges] are criminal matters. This is dogs."). The hearing held on October 30, 2013 was nothing more than a civil administrative proceeding of the type the Second Circuit has ruled likely cannot support a claim for malicious prosecution under § 1983:
31. Plaintiff cannot establish that a criminal proceeding was commenced against her and hence the proof at trial cannot sustain a claim of malicious prosecution by virtue of being issued the six dog-related violations tickets.
32. Again, although it is unclear whether plaintiff intends to assert a malicious prosecution claim for plaintiff's Penal Law charges, any such claim fails under both state and federal law.
33. In ruling on defendant's motion for summary judgment, this Court determined that plaintiff "satisfied the first two elements" of a malicious prosecution claim for the Penal Law charges "by providing proof of the dismissal of both charges against her." Docket # 45, at 12 (citing
34. Based on the evidence adduced at trial, the Court is satisfied that there was probable cause to initiate the proceeding on the Penal Law charges, foreclosing a malicious prosecution claim. Plaintiff argues that there was no probable cause for the Resisting Arrest charge because there was no probable cause to arrest her for the underlying Harassment in the Second Degree charge. Docket # 111, at 84. However, that argument fails because the Court previously determined in Part C,
35. Accordingly, plaintiff has not sustained her burden of proof on her malicious prosecution claims.
36. Defendants assert that even if they are found liable under any of the above causes of action, they are entitled to qualified immunity. Accordingly, the Court will address the qualified immunity defense as it pertains to excessive force, the only claim that the Court has found for plaintiff.
37. "Qualified immunity protects public officials from civil liability only `if (a) the defendant's action did not violate clearly established law, or (b) it was objectively reasonable for the defendant to believe that his action did not violate such law.'"
38. "`[I]n the context of excessive force, the Fourth Amendment reasonableness inquiry tends to converge with the qualified immunity reasonableness inquiry.'"
39. As Magistrate Judge Payson recently explained:
40. Having already engaged in the reasonableness analysis in finding excessive force was used during plaintiff's arrest, the Court need not repeat itself. Suffice it to say that given the particular circumstances confronting defendants Hogg and Prinzi, their actions were not "objectively reasonable."
41. Accordingly, Officers Hogg and Prinzi are not entitled to qualified immunity on plaintiff's excessive force claims.
42. Having found for plaintiff on her battery and excessive force claims against Officer Hogg and Officer Prinzi, the Court must determine the damages proximately caused by their actions. "Courts are not required to provide lengthy analyses in support of their damages findings but they are required under Fed. R. Civ. P. 52(a) to adequately explain the subsidiary facts and methodology underlying the ultimate finding."
43. "[A] plaintiff may recover money damages against an officer acting under color of federal law for using excessive force in violation of the Fourth Amendment in effecting his arrest."
44. "To recover compensatory damages plaintiff must prove that his injuries were proximately caused by the constitutional violation."
45. After careful review of the evidence presented and after considering damages awarded in other excessive force cases, the Court concludes that an award of $50,000 in compensatory damages is justified and appropriate in this case. $40,000 is attributable to Officer Hogg and $10,000 is attributable to Officer Prinzi.
46. In making this decision as to damages, the Court notes that it has considered and credited the opinions of Dr. Ewing as to the nature, extent, severity, and permanency of plaintiff's injuries and mental suffering proximately caused by excessive force used by defendants. The Court has also relied on the testimony of the plaintiff which it found to be generally credible on her physical injuries and mental suffering. The Court finds that damages in the amount of $50,000 is sufficient to reasonably compensate plaintiff for her injuries.
47. "`Punitive damages are available in a § 1983 action when the defendant's conduct is shown to be motivated by evil motive or intent, or when it involves reckless or callous indifference to the federally protected rights of others.'"
48. The Court finds no evidence that Officers Hogg or Prinzi's actions were "motivated by evil motive or intent" or that either acted with "callous indifference" to plaintiff's rights. Accordingly, the Court declines to award punitive damages.
49. Plaintiff's attorney also makes a request for an award of attorney's fees but has not submitted any documentation sufficient for the Court to determine what fees plaintiff's counsel claims. Accordingly, plaintiff's request for attorney's fees is denied without prejudice to renew. Any application for attorney's fees must comply with the law in the Second Circuit and be supported by contemporaneous time records. Such motion must be filed within 21 days from entry of this Decision and Order. Because the undersigned will be retiring as a Magistrate Judge on November 5, 2019, such application for attorney's fees shall be made to and determined by my successor, Magistrate Judge Mark Pedersen.
Based on the foregoing, the Court finds in plaintiff's favor on her state law claim for battery and her claim for excessive force under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The Court finds in favor of defendants on all other causes of action. The Court awards plaintiff $50,000 in compensatory damages, $40,000 of which is attributable to Officer Hogg and $10,000 of which is attributable to Officer Prinzi.
IT IS SO ORDERED.