Ashley v. Kosheba

CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedSeptember 22, 2023
Docket1:22-cv-00982
StatusUnknown

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

Bluebook
Ashley v. Kosheba, (M.D. Pa. 2023).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA JUSTIN T. ASHLEY : Civil No. 1:22-CV-00982 : Plaintiff, : : v. : : ADAM R. KOSEHBA, JR., et al., : : Defendants. : Judge Jennifer P. Wilson MEMORANDUM Before the court are motions to dismiss and strike the amended complaint filed by Defendants. (Docs. 22, 23.) This case involves allegations of Lower Paxton Police Department officers using excessive force against Plaintiff, Justin T. Ashley (“Ashley”). Ashley specifically brings his claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging Fourth Amendment violations for use of excessive force against Defendant Chad W. Miller (“Miller”), failure to intervene against Defendants Adam R. Kosheba, Jr. (“Kosehba”), Daniel M. Smeck (“Smeck”), and Andrew R. Brady (“Brady”), supervisor liability against Kosheba, Miller, and Brady, municipal liability against Defendant Lower Paxton Township (“the Township”) due to a policy of encouraging the use of excessive force against citizens, and municipal liability against Defendant Dauphin County (“County”) for failing to supervise Kosheba. The Township’s motion to dismiss argues count IV alleging Monell liability against the Township should be dismissed pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil

Procedure 12(b)(6) for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. (Doc. 22.) The Township’s motion to strike pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(f) argues that certain factual assertions regarding the culture of the

Lower Paxton Township Police Department in the amended complaint are impertinent or scandalous. (Id.) The County’s motion to dismiss argues count V alleging Monell claims against the County should be dismissed for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure

12(b)(6). (Doc. 23.) The court finds that Ashley has alleged sufficient facts to proceed on his Monell claim against the Township. The court also finds that the content of the

facts contained in subparagraph E of the amended complaint is immaterial and will be stricken. However, the remaining challenged subparagraphs are material and will not be stricken. Finally, the court finds that Ashley has not alleged sufficient facts to proceed on his failure to supervise claim against the County. For the

reasons that follow, the Township’s motion to dismiss is denied, the Township’s motion to strike is denied in part and granted in part, and the County’s motion is granted. FACTUAL BACKGROUND AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY Ashley initiated this action by filing a complaint on June 21, 2022. (Doc. 1.)

Thereafter, both the Township and County filed a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim. (Docs. 9, 12.) Ashley filed an amended complaint as matter of course on September 29, 2022, alleging the following claims: excessive force against Miller

(count 1), duty to intervene against Kosheba, Smeck, and Brady (count 2), supervisor liability against Kosheba, Miller, and Brady (count 3), Monell liability against the Township (count 4), and Monell liability against the County (count 5). (Doc. 18.) The amended complaint alleges the following facts. Kosheba was named the

Township’s Director of Public safety on April 17, 2018. (Doc. 17, ¶ 17.)1 Because of his position as Director of Public Safety, Kosheba was a Township policymaker. (Id. ¶ 21.) During his time as Director of Public Safety, Kosheba allegedly sought

to “police the community pursuant to a policy of excessive force and intimidation.” (Id. ¶ 25.) Kosheba allegedly changed the reporting requirements of use of force incidents in order for it to appear that injuries only occurred in a small fraction of situations, and he also changed the vehicle pursuit policy, which led to an increased

number of vehicle pursuits in the Township. (Id. ¶¶ 30, 33.) Ashley alleges that Kosheba created an atmosphere in the Township police department that encouraged excessive force by hanging a gladiator mask in the

1 For ease of reference, the court utilizes page numbers from the CM/ECF header. department and having new hires take a picture with it, designing a t-shirt to be worn at a community event that depicted a skull with guns, and allowing a “use of

force training officer” to hang a cartoon vigilante character’s mask in his office. (Id. ¶ 34–39.) According to Ashley, the Township had knowledge of the policy of

excessive force because an officer in the police department posted a TikTok video in full Township police uniform in which the officer was standing in front of a black flag and the video contained the hashtag “sheepdog.” (Id. ¶¶ 41, 44.) This hashtag apparently references a philosophy that “police officers are sheepdogs who

must use violence to protect the flock (the citizens).” (Id. ¶ 46.) Ashley further alleges that Kosheba created a Community Engagement Team (“CET”), which had the official mission of providing “the residents of

Lower Paxton Township the best possible police services through aggressive enforcements of the Laws and Statutes of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania[.]” (Id. ¶ 57 (emphasis removed).) Finally, Ashley alleges that Kosheba, Miller, Brady, and Smeck served an

arrest warrant at his home on June 24, 2020. (Id. ¶ 69.) All Defendants involved in this incident knew that Ashley had been suffering from mental illness and was working with a mental health case worker at the time. (Id. ¶ 71.) The named

Defendants and the CET surrounded Ashley’s home with law enforcement vehicles, armed officers, and a police K-9. (Id. ¶ 75.) The officers pounded on Ashley’s door, threatening to break the door the down and threatening to send the

K-9 they had with them into the home. (Id. ¶¶ 76, 77.) As Ashley was heading for the door, he heard it being broken down and hid in a closet behind a desk so that the K-9 would not bite him. (Id. ¶ 82.) The officers warned Ashley that if he did

not exit the closet, the K-9 would be sent to bite him. (Id. ¶ 83.) Kosheba, Brady, and Smeck found Ashley in the storage closet and commanded him to show his hands. (Id. ¶ 87.) Ashley complied, but then froze when he saw the K-9. (Id. ¶¶ 90, 93.) Miller then commanded the K-9 to bite

Ashley, causing him to suffer injuries on his arm. (Id. ¶¶ 94, 98.) Kosheba, Miller, Brady, and Smeck then attempted to pull Ashley over the desk he was hiding behind by the hood of his sweatshirt, causing injury to Ashley’s neck. (Id. ¶ 100.)

Ashley then proceeded to lay in the fetal position on the floor, during which Miller instructed the K-9 to bite Ashley’s leg. (Id. ¶¶ 102, 104.) The K-9 was permitted to chew Ashley’s leg, causing significant injuries. (Id. ¶¶ 107, 108.) On October 13, 2022, the Township and County filed motions to dismiss for

failure to state a claim. (Docs. 22, 23.) The Township’s motion to dismiss also contains a motion to strike. (Doc. 22.) The County filed its brief in support of its motion on October 13, 2022. (Doc. 24.) The Township filed its brief in support on

October 26, 2022. (Doc. 27.) The court granted Ashley’s request to stay his briefing deadlines due to ongoing negotiations and a scheduled mediation on November 8, 2022, and November 21, 2022, respectively. (Docs. 31, 35.) After

mediation discussions ended, the court reset the deadlines in the case management deadlines. (Doc. 41.) Ashley filed his brief in opposition to both motions on May 19, 2023. (Docs. 42, 43.) The County filed its reply brief on May 31, 2023. (Doc.

44.) The Township filed its reply brief on June 1, 2023. (Doc.

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Ashley v. Kosheba, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ashley-v-kosheba-pamd-2023.