CHERYL R. ZWART, Magistrate Judge.
Defendant Aaron C. Collins ("Defendant") has moved to suppress evidence and statements obtained during a traffic stop on November 10, 2016, alleging violations of his Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights. Defendant additionally seeks suppression of evidence and statements obtained during an arrest and vehicle search conducted on January 27, 2017, again alleging both Fourth and Fifth Amendment violations. For the following reasons, Defendant's motion should be denied.
After hearing testimony and reviewing the video evidence, the undersigned magistrate judge finds the following facts are credible.
On November 10, 2016, Lincoln Police Officers Gratz and Hallowell observed a white Jeep Patriot exit the garage of a residence on the 400 block of E Street in Lincoln, Nebraska. At the time of the incident, the officers were conducting surveillance of the residence based on reports that it was connected to the illegal manufacture and sale of methamphetamine. When the Jeep exited the garage, Officers Gratz and Hallowell followed it. They observed an improper turn and failure to properly signal lane changes, in violation Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60,161 and § 60-6,159. The officers initiated a traffic stop.
Defendant and Desmond Hauser ("Hauser") were identified as the vehicle's occupants. The officers were aware of reports from a confidential informant regarding Hauser's alleged involvement in methamphetamine distribution, and the same informant indicated Hauser typically carried firearms, often concealing them in his waistband. Officer Hallowell observed a pocket knife in the vehicle near Hauser and asked if he had any other weapons. Hauser said that he did not, and he complied when asked to step out of the vehicle for a patdown search.
Officer Gratz then asked Defendant if there were any illegal items in the vehicle. Defendant indicated there were not, but he began acting apprehensively. Officer Gratz repeatedly asked Defendant to keep his hands visible and on the steering wheel, but Defendant persisted in obscuring his hands and reaching towards his pockets. Eventually, Defendant was asked to step out of the vehicle.
At that time, two additional supporting officers—Officers Hubka and Wayne—arrived to assist. Together, Officers Gratz and Hubka physically aided Defendant in exiting the Jeep. The officers conducted a pat-down search of Defendant and discovered brass knuckles—affixed with knives—concealed in Defendant's pocket. Defendant was placed under arrest for carrying a concealed weapon, in violation of Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-1202.
During the encounter, officers observed a jar containing white residue in the passenger floorboard of the vehicle. Based on their training and experience, the officers believed the jar contained methamphetamine. They seized the jar, and field-tested the residue. The field test was positive for amphetamines. The officers then searched the remainder of the car and found no other evidence of criminal activity.
During transport to the Lancaster County Jail, Defendant appeared extremely nervous and was asked if he was "okay" and whether the officers "had missed something" during the pat-down. (
On January 27, 2017, Defendant had an additional encounter with the Lincoln Police Department officers. Officer Hyland observed a red Ford Taurus driving near the intersection of 33rd Street and Huntington Avenue. The officer ran the license plate number of the vehicle and determined that the car was registered to Defendant. Officer Hyland further determined that Defendant had a suspended driver's license.
The officer followed Defendant and saw him park and exit the vehicle in an alleyway parking lot near 37th Street and Baldwin Avenue. After contacting Defendant and confirming his identity, Officer Hyland asked Defendant to sit inside his police vehicle while he wrote out a traffic citation for driving with a suspended license. As they walked toward the police cruiser, Defendant appeared nervous. As with the November 2016 traffic incident, Defendant had to repeatedly be warned to keep his hands visible and out of his pockets. Officer Hyland then noticed what appeared to be an object inside Defendant's sweatshirt. He conducted a pat-down search and placed Defendant under arrest for driving with a suspended license. Two additional officers arrived to assist.
During the pat-down, Officer Hyland discovered plastic bags containing a substance that, based on his training and experience, he suspected was methamphetamine. Defendant also had several empty plastic bags, two digital scales, and a hydrocodone tablet on his person. The officers then searched Defendant's vehicle and found a handgun.
During the transport to the Lancaster County Jail, Defendant was advised of his
Defendant alleges constitutional violations stemming from two unrelated police encounters. As a result, each encounter will be taken up separately below.
Defendant first alleges that Officers Gratz and Hallowell did not have probable cause to initiate the November 10, 2016 traffic stop.
The "[t]emporary detention of individuals during the stop of an automobile by the police, even if only for a brief period and for a limited purpose, constitutes a `seizure' of `persons' within the meaning of [the Fourth Amendment]."
A traffic stop is reasonable if the police have probable cause to believe that a traffic violation has occurred.
During the November 10, 2016 incident, Officers Gratz and Hallowell personally observed the vehicle driven by Defendant make an illegal turn and an improper lane change in violation of Nebraska law. Their firsthand observation of these traffic violations provided a sufficient basis to initiate the stop—regardless of any other subjective, investigatory motivation they may have possessed.
The officers' pat-down of Defendant following the stop was likewise valid. Officers may conduct a pat-down search or "frisk" if there is "reasonable suspicion that the person subjected to the frisk is armed and dangerous."
Here, the officers observed a pocket knife in the vehicle. In addition, Defendant was apprehensive and made continuous attempts to access his own pockets—even after several warnings to keep his hands visible.
Defendant argues the search of his vehicle following his arrest was illegal under
Officer Hallowell credibly testified that he observed a jar containing a white crystalline substance he believed to be methamphetamine while standing outside the vehicle. (
Defendant's reliance on
Finally, Defendant argues that his Fifth Amendment right against selfincrimination was violated while en route to the Lancaster County Jail because Defendant was interrogated during transport and before being advised of his
Officer Hallowell's inquiry into whether something had been missed was not interrogation within the meaning of
In sum, neither Defendant's Fourth nor his Fifth Amendment rights were violated during the November 10, 2016 stop, arrest or vehicle search. Accordingly, no evidence or statements obtained on November 10, 2016 should be suppressed.
Defendant argues his Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights were violated during a contact with Lincoln Police Officer Hyland on January 27, 2017. During Officer Hyland's patrol shift on January 27, 2017, he ran the license plate number of a red Ford Taurus and discovered the vehicle was registered to Defendant and Defendant did not have a valid driver's license. The officer followed Defendant's vehicle until it parked in an alleyway a few blocks away.
At that time, Officer Hyland made contact with Defendant outside his vehicle. He confirmed Defendant's identity and informed him that he would receive a citation for driving without a valid license. However, as Defendant and Officer Hyland walked towards the police vehicle, Officer Hyland observed Defendant repeatedly reach towards his pockets—even after being told several times not to do so. Defendant appeared extremely nervous. Having noticed a large protrusion inside Defendant's sweatshirt as they walked toward the police vehicle, the officer was concerned that Defendant had a weapon, and he initiated a pat-down search of Defendant. Defendant became uncooperative, and Officer Hyland handcuffed the defendant and placed him under arrest for driving with a suspended driver's license.
Based on seeing a bulge in Defendant's sweatshirt sufficient to hide a weapon, and particularly in light of Defendant's extremely nervous behavior, Officer Hyland had a "reasonable, articulable suspicion" that Defendant was armed and dangerous when the frisk was initiated.
After discovery of the contraband of Defendant's person, Officer Hyland, and two other Lincoln police officers who had arrived to assist, conducted a search of Defendant's vehicle. This vehicle search was permitted under the automobile exception to the Fourth Amendment. "If a car is readily mobile and probable cause exists to believe it contains contraband, the Fourth Amendment thus permits police to search the vehicle without more."
Officer Hyland had observed the mobility of the vehicle, identified it as belonging to the Defendant, and located contraband on the Defendant's person in a legally valid search. Accordingly, the officers had probable cause to extend their search to Defendant's nearby vehicle, and the evidence recovered inside is not subject to suppression.
Finally, Defendant's Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination was not violated during the January 27, 2017 contact with Lincoln police officers.
Based on the foregoing, Defendant's Fourth and Fifth were not violated during his encounter with Lincoln police officer on January 27, 2017 and the statements and evidence obtained during that police encounter should not be suppressed.
IT THEREFORE HEREBY IS RECOMMENDED to the Honorable John M. Gerrard, United States District Judge,
The defendant is notified that failing to file an objection to this recommendation as provided in the local rules of this court may be held to be a waiver of any right to appeal the court's adoption of the recommendation.
IT IS ORDERED that the jury trial of this case is set to commence before John M. Gerrard, United States District Judge, in Courtroom 1, United States Courthouse, Lincoln, Nebraska, at 9:00 a.m. on April 9, 2018 or as soon thereafter as the case may be called, for a duration of three (3) trial days. Jury selection will be held at the commencement of trial.