Brown v. City of Las Cruces Police Dep't

347 F. Supp. 3d 792
CourtDistrict Court, D. New Mexico
DecidedMay 7, 2018
DocketNo. CIV 17-0944 JB/JHR
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 347 F. Supp. 3d 792 (Brown v. City of Las Cruces Police Dep't) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Mexico primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brown v. City of Las Cruces Police Dep't, 347 F. Supp. 3d 792 (D.N.M. 2018).

Opinion

JAMES O. BROWNING, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

THIS MATTER comes before the Court on: (i) the Defendant Chase Thouvenell's Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff's Complaint (Doc. 1-1), filed September 21, 2017 (Doc. 3) ("Thouvenell's First Motion to Dismiss")1 ; (ii) the Amended Defendant Chase Thouvenell's Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff's Complaint (Doc. 1-1), filed October 3, 2017 (Doc. 5) ("Thouvenell's Amended Motion To Dismiss"); (iii) the Defendant Sheriff Enrique "Kiki" Vigil and the Dona Ana County Sheriff's Department's Motion To Dismiss Plaintiff's Complaint (Doc. 1-1), filed October 3, 2017 (Doc. 6)("County's Motion to Dismiss"); (iv) the Plaintiff's Response and Motion to Oppose Defendant's Motion to Dismiss and for Enlargement and Extension of Time to File All Response and Other Pleadings and for Permission to Give Leave to Amend and Supplement Pleadings And Motion to Stay the Proceedings and Hold in Abeyance for Plaintiff to Acquire Appointment of Counsel, *799filed January 2, 2018 (Doc. 13)("Brown's Surreply and Motion to Amend and Stay"); and (v) the Defendants' Joint Motion to Strike Plaintiff's Response and Motion to Oppose the Defendant's Motion to Dismiss Et Seq (Doc. 13), filed January 24, 2018 (Doc. 15)("Defendants' Joint Motion to Strike"). Plaintiff Davalous Jamon Brown is incarcerated, appears pro se, and is proceeding in forma pauperis. For the reasons explained below, the Court will deny Thouvenell's First Motion to Dismiss as moot, grant in part and deny in part Thouvenell's Amended Motion to Dismiss, the requests in the Plaintiff's Surreply and Motion to Amend and Stay, and deny the Defendants' Joint Motion to Strike.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

According to the Complaint, Defendant Chase Thouvenell "entrapped" Brown on July 12, 2014 by "using [his girlfriend] as bait in order to effectuate" an unlawful seizure and arrest. Complaint (Tort) ¶ 5, at 3, filed August 9, 2017 in First Judicial District Court, County of Santa Fe, State of New Mexico, filed in federal court September 14, 2017 (Doc. 1-1)("Complaint"). Brown's girlfriend "duped [Brown] into believing that she wanted him to take a shower to clean up [his] leg injuries from a physical altercation" the prior night. See Complaint ¶ 5, at 3. While Brown was in the shower, Thouvenell entered the bathroom and pointed a Taser directly at him. Brown was "in shock and in fear for his life and his welfare," so he "reacted through the use of self defense and disarmed the deputy officer, secured the taser, [and] ran out of the house completely naked," discarding the taser in the neighboring yard. See Complaint ¶ 5, at 4. As Brown fled, Thouvenell pursued him, firing gunshots. See Complaint ¶ 5, at 4.

Brown "ran and hid under a nearby Mobile home," while police "backup ... arrived onto the scene." Complaint ¶ 5, at 4. One of the backup officers was Defendant Brad Lunsford. See Complaint ¶ 5, at 4. Thouvenell "screamed and yelled out to Police Officer Brad Lunsford ... 'shoot him, shoot him, shoot that black mother f*****.' " Complaint ¶ 5, at 4. Lunsford shot at Brown three times, and "the third projectile ... struck [Brown] in the rear lower calf of his right leg, causing emotional and serious permanent bodily injury." Complaint ¶ 5, at 5. "Upon suffering the gunshot wound," Brown "was forced to run and hide for safety," so he "retreated back inside" his girlfriend's house. Complaint ¶ 5, at 5. Brown remained in the house for the next three hours, tending to his gunshot wound, and "advising the assaulting law enforcement officers that he had 'been shot unjustly' and 'was afraid to come out of the house ... and in fear for his life and welfare.' " Complaint ¶ 5, at 5.

"[S]hortly thereafter, the SWAT team was called and arrived onto the scene under the authoritative direction and commands of" Defendant Jaime Montoya. Complaint ¶ 5, at 5. "The SWAT team then shot out the windows" of the house "in which [Brown] was seeking refuge ... and then threw a steam ball grenade into the window subjecting [Brown] to undue poisonous and harmful gas chemical agents." Complaint ¶ 5, at 5. Shortly after "deploying the chemical agents ... the SWAT team breached the house and made entry with the K-9 law enforcement officer dog in which dog was released by the SWAT team K-9 handler." Complaint ¶ 5, at 6. The "law enforcement officer dog proceeded to bite, rip, tear, and gnaw upon the plaintiff's flesh," injuring his chest and right hand. Brown "reacted by utilizing self defense so as to subdue the dog." Complaint ¶ 5, at 6. At that point, "several SWAT team law enforcement officers" arrived, *800and they proceeded "to punch, kick, and stomp all upon [Brown's] face, cranium, back, chest, and legs." Complaint ¶ 5, at 5. "After a severe beating and brutal assault," the "SWAT team then picked up [Brown] by his arms and drug him outside where he was then placed into an ambulance and transfer[red] to the El Paso Medical Center trauma unit." Complaint ¶ 5, at 6. After a few hours of medical treatment, Brown was transferred from El Paso back to Las Cruces, where he was booked into the Defendant Doña Ana County Detention Center. See Complaint ¶ 5, at 6.

Brown was in pretrial detention at the Doña Ana County Detention Center for approximately one and a half years. See Complaint ¶ 5, at 7. During his pretrial detention, Brown alleges that he was deprived of adequate medical care for his "serious bodily gunshot and canine dog bite injuries and open wounds." Complaint ¶ 5, at 11. Specifically, Brown alleges that Defendants Doña Ana County Detention Center and Chris Barela ignored his "continuous medical request and doctor[']s orders for urgent and immediate medical care and doctor's order for occupational physical therapy." Complaint ¶ 5, at 11.

On October 15, 2015, Brown was acquitted of the following charges: "disarming a police officer, aggravated assault on a peace officer with intent to commit another felony, [and] assault on a K-9 Officer." Complaint ¶ 5, at 7. Brown was convicted, however, of "two counts of a fourth degree non aggravated battery on a police officer." Complaint ¶ 5, at 7.

PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Brown brought the Complaint in state court against the following Defendants: (i) the City of Las Cruces Police Department; (ii) Doña Ana County Sheriff Department; (iii) Doña Ana County Detention Center; (iv) Chase Duvanell, a deputy sheriff for the Doña Ana County Sheriff Department; (v) Brad Lunsford, a police officer for the Las Cruces Police Department; (vi) Enrique "Kiki" Vigil, a sheriff for the Doña Ana County Sheriff Department; (vii) Jaime Montoya, chief of police of the Las Cruces Police Department; (viii) Kenneth Daniel Gallegos Miyagishima, mayor of the City of Las Cruces; and (ix) Barela, jail administrator for the Doña Ana County Detention Center. See Complaint ¶ 4, at 1-2.

Based on the foregoing facts, the Complaint appears to raise the following claims against the Defendants under the Constitution of the United States of America, the Constitution of New Mexico, and the New Mexico Tort Claims Act ("NMTCA"), N.M. Stat. Ann. § 41-4-1 to -30: (i) false arrest and false imprisonment; (ii) malicious prosecution (iii) excessive force; and (iv) failure to provide adequate and necessary medical care. See Complaint ¶ 1, at 1.

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347 F. Supp. 3d 792, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brown-v-city-of-las-cruces-police-dept-nmd-2018.