Allen v. Ecorse

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedFebruary 16, 2021
Docket2:19-cv-11040
StatusUnknown

This text of Allen v. Ecorse (Allen v. Ecorse) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Allen v. Ecorse, (E.D. Mich. 2021).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN SOUTHERN DIVISION

FELICIA ALLEN and THE ESTATE OF ARTUROS Case No. 2:19-cv-11040 TURNER, HONORABLE STEPHEN J. MURPHY, III Plaintiffs,

v.

CITY OF ECORSE, et al.,

Defendants. /

OPINION AND ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANTS' MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT [21] Plaintiffs Felicia Allen and the Estate of Arturos Turner brought the present civil rights complaint against the City of Ecorse and three of its police officers: Amjad Issa, Craig Cieszkowski, and Kevin Barkman. ECF 1. Plaintiffs claim that Defendants are liable under federal and state law for civil rights violations they committed during Turner's arrest. ECF 1. Before the Court is Defendants' summary judgment motion. ECF 21. The Court reviewed the briefs and finds that a hearing is unnecessary. See E.D. Mich. LR 7.1(f). For the following reasons, the Court will grant summary judgment. BACKGROUND In April 2017, in the middle of the night, Officers Cieszkowski and Issa drove a patrol car through a government housing area in Ecorse, Michigan. ECF 1, PgID 3; ECF 34-5, PgID 318–20. The area, according to the officers, was a known drug area. ECF 34-7, PgID 482. While they drove, the officers observed a "black male with a white hoodie" standing "stationary on a moped[.]" ECF 34-5, PgID 319–320; ECF 34- 7, PgID 480. The officers then observed that man "exchange[] something hand-to- hand with" another man in "dark clothing." ECF 34-5, PgID 319–320; ECF 34-7, PgID

480–81. Although the officers could not clearly see any drugs transfer between the men, based on their experience, they suspected a drug transaction. ECF 34-7, PgID 481–83; see ECF 34-5, PgID 327 ("We were trying to confirm that it was a narcotic transaction. We weren't able to say if it was or wasn't."). After the "hand-to-hand" exchange, the man in the white hoodie drove off on the moped. ECF 34-5, PgID 331. As the officers followed in a patrol car, they saw the man drive through a stop sign, drive on sidewalks at thirty miles per hour, drive in

front of other cars, drive into oncoming traffic, drive on lawns, cut off cars, and almost hit a pedestrian. Id. at 337–39; ECF 34-7, PgID 490. In response, the officers activated the patrol car's lights and sirens and tried to make a traffic stop, but the man on the moped did not stop. ECF 34-5, PgID 330–31, 342. Eventually, the man lost control of the moped, fell off, and fled the scene. Id. at 342–43. When the man ran off, Officer Issa radioed the other officers about the

suspect's description and then gave chase. ECF 34-7, PgID 494–95. While Officer Issa was running after the suspect, Officer Cieszkowski checked on the moped and then began to follow Officer Issa. ECF 34-5, PgID 344–45. Shortly after, Corporal Barkman responded to the crash scene. Id. at 344; ECF 34-6 PgID 413–14. In the meantime, two River Rouge (Michigan) police officers quickly arrived on scene and one of them radioed the pursuing officers that he observed the suspect (black male wearing a white hoodie) enter a residence. ECF 34-2, PgID 282; ECF 34- 5, PgID 345–47; ECF 34-6, PgID 416. The other River Rouge officer then went around to the back of the house to make sure no one ran out. ECF 34-5, PgID 347; ECF 34-6,

PgID 420–21. When Officer Issa arrived at the house, he went around to the side of the house to watch for anyone running out a backdoor or jumping through any windows. ECF 34-7, PgID 498–99. Shortly after Officer Cieszkowski arrived at the house, a neighbor told Officer Cieszkowski that he saw the suspect enter the same house that the River Rouge officer saw the suspect enter. ECF 34-5, PgID 345–46. Officer Cieszkowski then approached the house and observed the suspect—wearing a white hoodie—looking

out the bay windows from inside the house. Id. at 348. Officer Cieszkowski immediately identified the suspect as Arturos Turner from prior interactions with him. Id. After confirming with the River Rouge officer that Turner was the fleeing suspect he identified, Officer Cieszkowski instructed Turner to exit the house. Id. He specifically stated, "Mr. Turner, I can see you there, just come out." Id. at 351; see ECF 34-6, PgID 422.

But, in the "brief" time that the officers arrived on scene, the officers saw Turner run towards a flight of stairs leading to the basement. ECF 34-5, PgID 356; ECF 34-7, PgID 502 (explaining time interval). Thus, the officers made the quick "mutual decision" to enter the house and arrest Turner. ECF 34-5, PgID 354; ECF 34-6, PgID 421. The officers then breached the door, entered the house, and promptly arrested Turner in the basement. ECF 34-5, PgID 357. In the end, Officer Cieszkowski arrested Turner for the felony of fleeing and eluding. ECF 34-2, PgID 281 (police

report); ECF 34-5, PgID 360 (Officer Cieszkowski deposition). In depositions, Officer Cieszkowski confirmed that they did not have probable cause to arrest Turner for the drug transaction. ECF 34-5, PgID 355. He admitted that the officers did not have consent or a warrant to enter the house. Id. at 352, 361. Officers Cieszkowski and Issa also explained in depositions that Turner's suspected drug activity in a high crime area, dangerous behavior while driving the moped, and fleeing and eluding all weighed into the decision to enter the house. Id. at 310–12;

ECF 34-7, PgID 486–87. Officer Cieszkowski further noted that they had concerns about Turner destroying evidence. ECF 34-5, PgID 311. The police report—written by Officer Cieszkowski—noted that when the officers arrested Turner in the basement, he was wearing different clothing. And when questioned, Turner claimed that he was sleeping in bed. ECF 34-2, PgID 281– 82; ECF 34-3, 2:15–4:00. In Allen's deposition, she claimed that Turner did not own

a white hoodie. ECF 34-8, PgID 536. She also claimed that despite being asleep, she knew that Turner was in bed with her that night and that he did not leave the house. Id. Last and unrelated to the facts of the incident, Turner died in December 2018. Id. at 529. LEGAL STANDARD The Court must grant a motion for summary judgment "if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law." Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). A moving party must identify specific portions of the record that "it believes demonstrate the absence of a genuine issue of material fact." Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323 (1986). Once the

moving party has met its burden, the non-moving party may not simply rest on the pleadings but must present "specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial." Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 587 (1986) (emphasis omitted) (quoting Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(e)). A fact is material if proof of that fact would establish or refute an essential element of the cause of action or defense. Kendall v. Hoover Co., 751 F.2d 171, 174 (6th Cir. 1984). A dispute over material facts is genuine "if the evidence is such that

a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party." Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248 (1986).

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Beck v. Ohio
379 U.S. 89 (Supreme Court, 1964)
Welsh v. Wisconsin
466 U.S. 740 (Supreme Court, 1984)
Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.
477 U.S. 242 (Supreme Court, 1986)
United States v. Sokolow
490 U.S. 1 (Supreme Court, 1989)
Brigham City v. Stuart
547 U.S. 398 (Supreme Court, 2006)
Pearson v. Callahan
555 U.S. 223 (Supreme Court, 2009)
Ovall Dale Kendall v. The Hoover Company
751 F.2d 171 (Sixth Circuit, 1984)
United States v. Jones
673 F.3d 497 (Sixth Circuit, 2012)
United States v. Michael Saari
272 F.3d 804 (Sixth Circuit, 2001)
Emil Ewolski v. City of Brunswick
287 F.3d 492 (Sixth Circuit, 2002)
United States v. Timothy Martin
289 F.3d 392 (Sixth Circuit, 2002)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
Allen v. Ecorse, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/allen-v-ecorse-mied-2021.