Chacon v. Copeland

103 F. Supp. 3d 827, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 57161, 2015 WL 2018937
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Texas
DecidedApril 30, 2015
DocketCase No. A-12-CA-226-SS
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 103 F. Supp. 3d 827 (Chacon v. Copeland) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Chacon v. Copeland, 103 F. Supp. 3d 827, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 57161, 2015 WL 2018937 (W.D. Tex. 2015).

Opinion

ORDER

SAM SPARKS, District Judge.

BE IT REMEMBERED on this day the Court reviewed the file in the above-styled cause, and specifically Defendants Eric Copeland and Russell Rose’s Motion for Judgment as a Matter of Law [# 70],1 Plaintiff Carlos Chacon’s Motion for Entry of Judgment [# 84], Defendant Russell Rose’s Response [# 86] thereto, and Plaintiffs Reply [# 87] thereto, Defendant Russell Rose’s Renewed Motion for Judgment as a Matter of Law, or, Alternatively Motion for New Trial or Remittitur [# 85], Plaintiffs Response [# 88] thereto, and Defendant’s Reply [# 89] thereto. Having reviewed the documents, the governing law, and the file as a whole, the Court now enters the following opinion and orders.

Background

The following facts, recounted in a light most favorable to Plaintiff Carlos Chacon, are drawn in part from previous opinions of this Court and the Fifth Circuit.2 On the evening of April 29, 2011, Officers Eric Copeland and Russell Rose of the Austin Police Department arrested Chacon outside a north Austin Studio 6 motel. Earlier that evening, Chacon finished a late workout at the gym, then came home and began searching the Internet for a massage service open late. Finding one, he called the telephone number and scheduled an appointment for that night. The woman who answered the call told Chacon she was a masseuse, said a massage would cost $79, and directed Chacon to her location behind a restaurant.

Upon arriving at that location, Chacon saw no sign of a massage business or shopping center. Chacon called the woman again and was told to go to a specific room at the nearby Studio 6 motel. Though suspicious, Chacon testified he gave the woman “the benefit of the doubt” and went to the motel room, where he paid the woman $79. The woman, however, [830]*830made it clear she provided sexual services, not massage. Chacon told the woman he would have to call the police to report her, and she asked him please not to do so; during their discussion, a man began kicking the door of the motel room and yelling at Chacon that the police were there and would tow his car unless he moved it.

Chacon left the room, found two persons who appeared to be a motel employee and an onsite security guard, and told them he believed a prostitution ring was being run out of the motel. When the employee and guard seemed reluctant to help him, Cha-con placed the first of two calls he made to 9-1-1 that evening. Chacon testified around that .time, the man who kicked the hotel room door and yelled at him reappeared and threatened to kill him, reaching into the waistband of his shorts as though he had a gun. Chacon then ran to his car, got inside, began driving, and initiated a second call to' 9-1-1. Both 9-1-1 calls were recorded and played during trial. In each call, Chacon provided his general location at the motel and explained he had gone there to get a massage, but encountered some kind of “operation” being run, involving a “fake” security officer, one or two men, and the alleged masseuse. Chacon also claimed a man was walking around with a gun, waving it at him and trying to shoot him as he drove.

During both calls, Chacon’s descriptions of the individuals involved were consistent. He noted the presence of an African-American male — the man he stated was walking around with a gun — who was wearing a black hat, black shorts, and a white shirt. This man was later identified as John Green, a pimp known to the Austin Police Department. Chacon also claimed a Hispanic male in an orange shirt and a woman in a blue security uniform, which he believed to be fake, were somehow involved. Finally, Chacon informed the operator he was driving a silver BMW.

Officers Rose and Copeland were dispatched, and because Chacon reported the presence of a gun, the call was designated as a high-priority “hot shot” call. Both officers drove to the scene in marked patrol cars with lights and sirens running, which activated their dashboard cameras and microphones. The videos from both officers’ cars were played several times during trial, and confirmed the officers’ radio dispatcher stated, on at least two occasions, that the report was of an African-American male in black shorts and a white shirt carrying a gun, while the complainant (Chacon) was driving a silver BMW.

Officer Rose arrived first and encountered a group of four people: an African-American male in black shorts and a white shirt (Green), a woman in a security uniform, a Hispanic male in an orange shirt, and a white woman. Rose was flagged down by Green and the woman in the security uniform. Rose asked if anyone had called 9-1-1, and Green stated he had; when Rose asked Green whether he called about a gun, however, Green responded, “Ain’t nobody called about no gun.” Instead, Green told Rose he called' 9-1-1 because a drunk man had come to his room and refused to leave, and was now circling the hotel parking lot in his BMW. One of the women added she saw the driver on the phone, and suggested perhaps he was the one who called about the gun. No evidence at trial showed any calls to 9-1-1 were placed other than the two placed by Chacon.

In the midst of Rose’s conversation with the group, Chacon’s BMW came into view, and Green identified the car as containing the drunk man. As Chacon slowly approached, Officer Rose immediately drew his gun, pointed it at Chacon, and charged toward the car without identifying himself as a police officer or any other type of law [831]*831enforcement official. Officer Copeland, who had arrived on the scene just as Rose began to approach Chacon’s BMW, drew his gun as well and joined Officer Rose, acting with far less information than Rose had and relying on Rose’s assessment of the situation in taking action.

As Officer Rose stormed toward the car with his gun trained on Chacon and Officer Copeland followed behind Rose with his weapon drawn, Rose instructed Chacon, using statements laden with profanity, to stop the car and show his hands. Chacon brought the car to a stop and initially reached his hands out the window; he then told Rose he did not have a gun and indicated Green was the one with the gun. Chacon then withdrew his hands, allegedly to put the car in park. After Chacon withdrew his hands, Rose began yelling at Chacon to get out of the car.

As Chacon opened the car door to exit the vehicle, the officers grabbed Chacon, and Officer Rose began yelling at Chacon to get on the ground. Chacon once again calmly explained he did not have a gim. Once Chacon was out of the car and standing up, Officer Rose ordered him to get on the ground again. This command was followed immediately by a new order to “not move.” Chacon replied, “I’m not moving” and asked Rose if he was a police officer, to which Rose replied, “You’re damn right I am.”

Officer Rose then attempted to handcuff Chacon. A scuffle broke out between the three men, with both officers struggling to take Chacon to the ground. It was undisputed that Chacon never tried to punch, kick, or otherwise attack either Rose or Copeland; Chacon testified he was attempting to lower himself to the ground while avoiding “hitting the ground the way [the officers] wanted me to,” presumably so he would not be injured. Once Chacon was down on the- ground, Officer Copeland punched Chacon in the face twice.

After securing a handcuff around one of Chacon’s wrists, the officers attempted to turn Chacon onto his stomach.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
103 F. Supp. 3d 827, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 57161, 2015 WL 2018937, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chacon-v-copeland-txwd-2015.