Burkhart v. Knepper

310 F. Supp. 2d 734, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5685, 2004 WL 637899
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedMarch 25, 2004
DocketCivil Action 03-60J
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 310 F. Supp. 2d 734 (Burkhart v. Knepper) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Burkhart v. Knepper, 310 F. Supp. 2d 734, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5685, 2004 WL 637899 (W.D. Pa. 2004).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER OF COURT

GIBSON, District Judge.

SYNOPSIS

This case is before the Court on the Defendant Clark’s (hereinafter “Clark”), Defendant City of Johnstown Police Department’s (hereinafter “Department”), Defendant Donato Zucco’s (hereinafter “Zueco”) and Defendant City of Johns-town’s (hereinafter “Johnstown”) joint Motion to Dismiss. For the reasons set forth in following Memorandum Opinion, the Motion to Dismiss is denied in part and granted in part.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

On June 10, 2002 Susan L. Fyock (hereinafter “Fyock”) was shot and killed by Craig A. Knepper (hereinafter “Knepper”) when Knepper fired his service revolver at *737 Fyock in the presence of Fyock’s four year old son. Complaint ¶ 27. Knepper was employed by the City of Johnstown Police Department at that time. Complaint ¶ 19. Knepper is currently incarcerated. Complaint ¶ 6.

At the time of Fyock’s killing, William Clark was the Chief of Police of the Johns-town Police Department and Donato Zueco was Mayor of the City of Johnstown. Complaint ¶ ¶ 7, 8. 1 Clark was Knepper’s commanding officer and responsible for executing the “policies, customs, rules and regulations” of the Department and Clark’s “edicts or acts ... represented the official policy of the City of Johnstown pertaining to police duties, actions, responsibilities, training, supervision, conduct and all other matters connected with the City of Johnstown Police Department.” 2 Complaint ¶ ¶ 7, 10, 11. Zueco was in charge and control of the Department and dark and “was responsible for the overall training and conduct of [Clark] as the Chief of Police, and the entire [Department]” and was “responsible by law for ensuring that the City of Johnstown police officers obey the regulations of the [Department] and the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Untied States.” 3 Complaint ¶ ¶ 8, 12, 13. Johnstown employed Knep-per, Clark, and Zueco at all relevant times. Complaint ¶ 9. Complaint ¶ 19. Knepper “has a history of violent behavior, drug abuse, alcohol abuse and anti-social proclivities which the [Department] knew about or should have known about in the exercise of reasonable diligence.” Complaint ¶ 20. Knepper exhibited such violent behavior toward Fyock and this fact was known by the Department. Complaint ¶ 21. “[A]gents, servants and/or employees of [Department] were called several times to [Fyock’s] residence in order to investigate the violent behavior which [Knepper] exhibited toward [Fyock], however, no charges were ever filed against him.” Complaint ¶ 22. Knepper also “exhibited violent behavior and/or abused drugs and alcohol while on the job as a police officer with [Department], which behavior was known by the [Department] or should have been known by it in the exercise if [sic] reasonable diligence.” Complaint ¶ 23. The Department investigated complaints against Knepper regarding his behavior and substance abuse, but never took any official action such as suspension, removal of his firearms or removal from active duty. Complaint ¶ 24. The employees of the Department were aware of Knepper’s threats of bodily harm to Fyock. Complaint ¶ 25.

PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

On March 20, 2003, R. Larry Burkhart (hereinafter “Plaintiff’), as administrator of the Fyock estate, filed a Complaint in this Court. The Complaint sets forth fifteen counts: five counts based upon 42 U.S.C. § 1983, five counts based upon the Pennsylvania action of wrongful death and five counts based upon a Pennsylvania survival action with each Defendant being alleged to be liable under each of the three actions. On May 27, 2003, Defendants, Clark, Zueco, Department and Johnstown *738 filed a Motion to Dismiss and Brief in Support of Motion to Dismiss. On June 16, 2003, Plaintiff filed a Brief in Opposition to Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss and the above mentioned Defendants filed a reply Brief in Support of Motion to Dismiss on June 30, 2003. This matter was assigned to the Honorable Kim R. Gibson on October 27, 2003.

ANALYSIS

In analyzing a motion to dismiss under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12 (b) (6):

the district court [is] required to accept as true all allegations in the complaint and all reasonable inferences that can be drawn from them after construing them in the light most favorable to the non-movant. Rocks v. City of Philadelphia, 868 F.2d 644, 645 (3d Cir.1989); D.P. Enters., Inc. v. Bucks County Community College, 725 F.2d 943, 944 (3d Cir.1984). In determining whether a claim should be dismissed under Rule 12(b)(6), a court looks only to the facts alleged in the complaint and its attachments without reference to other parts of the record. Moreover, a case should not be dismissed for failure to state a claim unless it clearly appears that no relief can be granted under any set of facts that could be proved consistently with the plaintiffs allegations. Hishon v. King & Spalding, 467 U.S. 69, 73, 104 S.Ct. 2229, 2232-33, 81 L.Ed.2d 59 (1984); D.P. Enters., 725 F.2d at 944.

Jordan v. Fox, Rothschild, O’Brien & Frankel, 20 F.3d 1250, 1261 (3rd Cir.1994). In considering a motion to dismiss, the Court is not deciding the issue of whether a plaintiff will ultimately prevail but is deciding if the plaintiff is entitled to offer evidence to support claims. Lake v. Arnold, 112 F.3d 682 (3rd Cir.1997); Nami v. Fauver, 82 F.3d 63 (3rd Cir.1996).

I. § 1983 CLAIMS

The Court will first address the § 1983 claims.

Department moves for dismissal of the 42 U.S.C. § 1983 claim in its motion and sets forth a more specific argument in favor of dismissal in footnote number 2 of its brief. As Judge Mencer, formerly of this Court, has held:

While Monell clearly holds that a local government is a person subject to suit, 436 U.S. at 690, 98 S.Ct. at 2036, we reject plaintiffs’ argument that each governmental sub-unit or department is a person distinct from the government at large. The City of Erie Police Department is a subunit of the city government and, as such, is merely a vehicle through which the city fulfills its policing functions. See Williams v. Dayton Police Department, 680 F.Supp. 1075, 1080 (S.D.Ohio 1987), citing Shelby v. City of Atlanta, 578 F.Supp. 1368 (N.D.Ga.1984); Elam v. Montgomery County, 573 F.Supp. 797 (S.D.Ohio 1983).

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Bluebook (online)
310 F. Supp. 2d 734, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5685, 2004 WL 637899, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/burkhart-v-knepper-pawd-2004.