Baker ex rel. Baker v. Putnal

865 F. Supp. 389, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14935, 1994 WL 575477
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Texas
DecidedOctober 14, 1994
DocketCiv. A. No. G-94-172
StatusPublished

This text of 865 F. Supp. 389 (Baker ex rel. Baker v. Putnal) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Baker ex rel. Baker v. Putnal, 865 F. Supp. 389, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14935, 1994 WL 575477 (S.D. Tex. 1994).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

KENT, District Judge.

Pending before the Court is Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). Also pending before the Court, pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(c), are a Motion for Summary Judgment by Defendant Michael Putnal as well as a Motion for Summary Judgment by Defendants Freddie Poor and Dale P. Rogers. For the reasons stated below, Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss is GRANTED, and therefore this Court will not reach the merits of the other pending motions.

This case was brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and arises out of the alleged wrongful death of Wendell C. Baker, Jr. (hereinafter Decedent). Plaintiffs, as survivors of Decedent, have sued the City of Galveston, as well as Michael Putnal, Freddie Poor, and Dale P. Rogers in both their official and individual capacities.

I. Background

On Saturday, March 14, 1992, Defendant Michael Putnal, an officer with the Galveston Police Department, was assigned to work Apffel Park, together with Officer George Simpson, for the purpose of monitoring and controlling the crowd. Approximately one hundred cars were located inside the park. Several hundred cars were concentrated among a crowd of about two thousand people outside the west gate of the park. An additional unit was dispatched to help monitor the crowd. As the police officers watched the crowd, two fights broke out. Both ended quickly without the need for police intervention.

Later, two people informed Defendant Putnal that during one of the fights, someone had entered the crowd with a pistol-gripped shotgun. The officers obtained a physical description of the man, but not his name. In addition the witnesses advised Defendant Putnal that the man had put the shotgun into a burgundy Toyota Camry parked approximately one hundred yards away and then returned into the crowd without the gun.

A few minutes later, a large disturbance broke out in the midst of the crowd. Hundreds of people ran in all directions. Gunshots were discharged within the crowd. These shots were fired at such close range as to permit Defendant Putnal to smell the gunpowder from the discharge. Defendant Put-nal radioed on Galveston Police Department Channel 4 that shots had been fired. More shots were fired, and people were running and screaming. Defendant could not see his fellow officers. Defendant Putnal radioed again, advising that they had multiple shots fired. In an attempt to gain a better vantage point of the crowd, Defendant Putnal climbed the sand dunes, at which time more shots were fired. Defendant Putnal radioed once again to advise that in excess of fifty shots had been fired.

Defendant Putnal crossed the sand dunes to the north of the crowd. Two people grabbed Defendant Putnal and gestured in the direction of a small red car. The witnesses told Defendant Putnal: “You gotta do something. The dudes that shot that guy are over there by that red car.” Defendant Put-nal started walking toward the red car, and was halfway to it, when he observed a grey “low-rider” pickup with a burgundy vinyl top. Both doors of the vehicle were open. Two [392]*392persons were seated in the pickup. What caught Defendant Putnal’s attention was the action of the passenger. The passenger’s attention was focused on some activity with his hand, either in his lap or on the seat of the truck. His actions appeared suspicious to Defendant Putnal, so he approached the truck and glanced into it. Defendant Putnal saw the passenger was holding a blue steel semi-automatic handgun in his right hand and a blue steel magazine in his left hand. The magazine was loaded with bullets. Defendant Putnal raised his weapon and ordered the passenger to drop the gun. The passenger then turned in the direction of Defendant Putnal as he simultaneously loaded the magazine into the gun, leveling his gun at Defendant Putnal. Being in fear for his life, Defendant Putnal discharged his weapon at the passenger. The passenger, Wendell C. Baker, Jr., slumped back into the seat. Defendant Putnal then requested Emergency Medical Services (E.M.S.) and advised dispatch that they had an officer involved in a shooting. Wendell C. Baker, Jr., died while en route to the hospital.

Plaintiffs deny that Decedent had committed any acts of aggression toward Defendant Putnal, but alternately contend that even if Decedent had possession of, or was holding a pistol, he did not point the pistol in the direction of Defendant Putnal. As such, the Plaintiffs allege that Defendant Putnal was not justified in using deadly force.

Defendants Freddie Poor and Dale P. Rogers were responsible for the training of all police officers of Defendant City of Galveston in the proper use of firearms and the performance of their duties as police officers. Plaintiffs allege that Defendants Poor and Rogers failed to instruct Defendant Putnal sufficiently in the proper use of firearms.

Plaintiffs further allege that Defendant City of Galveston was negligent in failing to properly train Defendant Putnal to take a precautionary course of action when responding to an emergency call such as that which resulted in the death of Decedent. Since no disciplinary action has been taken by Defendant City against Defendant Putnal, Plaintiffs allege that it may be presumed that Defendant City failed to exercise reasonable care to ensure that Defendant Putnal was properly trained for the life-threatening, high-risk confrontation which he encountered. Plaintiffs further allege that Defendant Putnal acted in a grossly negligent or reckless manner in that he willfully chose to single-handedly confront the Decedent, and through the use of his pistol, wrongfully took the life of the Decedent.

Plaintiffs state three causes of action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging that Defendants: (1) deprived Decedent of his right to be secure against unreasonable seizures under the Fourth Amendment; (2) deprived Decedent of his right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment; and (3) deprived Decedent of his right to life under the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution.

This Court is aware of the widely divergent allegations of the facts set forth by the Plaintiffs and the Defendants. This Court will not engage in weighing the facts as it would in a Motion for Summary Judgment. Rather, this Court need only evaluate the legitimate evidence necessary to support qualified immunity.

II. Motion to Dismiss on the Grounds of Qualified Immunity

Defendants move to dismiss Plaintiffs’ claims against them individually on the grounds that plaintiffs have not met the heightened pleading standard required when an official of a governmental entity raises the qualified immunity defense.

The Supreme Court recently held that because municipalities do not enjoy immunity from § 1983 actions, Plaintiffs who file suit against a municipality do not have to meet the heightened pleading standard. Leatherman v. Tarrant County Narcotics Intelligence and Coordination Unit, — U.S. -, -, 113 S.Ct. 1160, 1162, 122 L.Ed.2d 517 (1993).

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Bluebook (online)
865 F. Supp. 389, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14935, 1994 WL 575477, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/baker-ex-rel-baker-v-putnal-txsd-1994.