Chipman v. City of Florence

866 F. Supp. 332, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15152, 1994 WL 577919
District Court, E.D. Kentucky·Decided October 12, 1994·No. No. 94-cv-062·Published·Cited by 4 cases

Opinion

BERTELSMAN, Chief Judge:

I. INTRODUCTION

Plaintiff, the administrator of Conni Black’s estate, initiated this civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiff alleges that the defendants, the City of Florence, three Florence police officers and two Boone County sheriff’s deputies, deprived Ms. Black of her life without due process of law.

Defendants previously moved to dismiss Plaintiff’s complaint. On August 2,1994, this court issued an opinion and order (doc. # 41) concluding that the individual officers are entitled to qualified immunity and dismissing Plaintiff’s claims against the law enforcement officers in their individual capacities. This matter is now before the court for consideration of Plaintiff’s motion to reconsider the court’s August 2, 1994 opinion and order (doc. # 42) and Plaintiff’s motion for leave to file an amended complaint (doc. #43). Defendants have responded (docs. # 47, 48), and Plaintiff filed a reply in support of its motion for leave to amend (doc. #49).

II. FACTUAL BACKGROUND1

In the early morning hours of February 20, 1994, the decedent, Conni Black, was involved in. an altercation with her boyfriend, Steve Kritis, at a bar in Florence, Kentucky. Mr. Kritis struck Ms. Black twice and threatened to kill Ms. Black and her friend, Susan Stemler.

In an attempt to escape from Mr. Kritis’ abuse, Ms. Stemler and Ms. Black left the bar and fled in Ms. Stemler’s automobile. Mr. Kritis followed the women in his truck. After a brief chase, Mr. Kritis cornered the automobile driven by Ms. Stemler in a driveway at the end of a dead end street. Mr. Kritis parked his truck in such a way as to block the path of Ms. Stemler’s car. Mr. Kritis then approached the women’s ear shouting threats of violence. Ms. Stemler sounded her horn in an attempt to obtain assistance. The owner of a nearby house heard the commotion and immediately called the police.

Before the police could respond, Ms. Stemler maneuvered her vehicle through a lawn and onto the street beyond Mr. Kritis’ vehicle. Mr. Kritis returned to his truck and resumed the chase." The owner of the house and another witness joined the chase in an effort to protect Ms. Stemler and Ms. Black.

Shortly after the chase resumed, Ms. Stemler attracted the attention of a Florence police officer. Ms. Stemler ran to the officer and asked him- to protect1 the women from Mr. Kritis, who had stopped his vehicle at a traffic light behind Ms. Stemler’s automobile. Shortly thereafter, four other law enforcement officers arrived.

Both Steve Kritis and Susan Stemler smelled of alcohol. Ms. Black was so intoxicated that she was unable to remove her seatbelt or to walk without assistance.

Mr. Kritis told the officers that Ms. Black was his girlfriend and that Ms. Stemler was a lesbian who was trying to “steal” his girlfriend. Ms. Stemler and another witness related to the officers the events that had occurred that night.

The officers administered a field sobriety test to Susan Stemler. Although Ms. Stemler passed the field sobriety test, the officers arrested her for driving under the influence of alcohol. Ms. Black was given the choice of leaving the scene with Mr. Kritis or being placed under arrest. Ms. Black chose to accompany Mr. Kritis.

Two officers assisted Ms. Black out of Ms. Stemler’s automobile and into Mr. Kritis’ truck. Léss than five minutes later, Mr. Kritis crashed his truck, killing Ms. Black. Tests revealed that Mr. Kritis’ blood alcohol level exceeded .20, more than twice the legal [334]*334limit. Ms. Black’s blood alcohol level was reported as .237.

On May 20, 1994, Mr. Kritis was indicted for second degree manslaughter in the death of Conni Black. He was also indicted for felonious wanton endangerment as to Susan Stemler.

Plaintiff initiated this action against the City of Florence and the five law enforcement officers present at the scene, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The defendant law enforcement officers moved to dismiss Plaintiffs complaint on the basis that they are entitled to qualified immunity. Defendant City of Florence moved to dismiss Plaintiffs complaint for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

After reviewing the parties’ briefs and conducting oral argument, this court concluded that the defendant law enforcement officers had not violated clearly established law and were, therefore, entitled to qualified immunity. The court issued an opinion and order dismissing all claims against the defendant law enforcement officers in their individual capacities and denying without prejudice the City’s motion to dismiss (doc. #41). Plaintiff now seeks reconsideration of that opinion and order.

III. ANALYSIS

Government officials, including police officers, “are shielded from liability for civil damages insofar as their conduct does not violate clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would have known.” Black v. Parke, 4 F.3d 442, 444 (6th Cir.1993) (quoting Harlow v. Fitzgerald, 457 U.S. 800, 818, 102 S.Ct. 2727, 2738, 73 L.Ed.2d 396 (1982)); see also O’Brien v. Grand Rapids, 23 F.3d 990 (6th Cir.1994). A constitutional right is “clearly established” if the law is “clear in regard to the officials’ particular actions in the particular situation.” Black, 4 F.3d at 445 (quoting Long v. Norris, 929 F.2d 1111, 1114 (6th Cir.1991)). That is, “The contours of the right must be sufficiently clear that a reasonable official would understand that what he is doing violates that right.” Id. (quoting Anderson v. Creighton, 483 U.S. 635, 640, 107 S.Ct. 3034, 3039, 97 L.Ed.2d 523 (1987)). Therefore, the official will be immune if officers of reasonable competence could disagree concerning whether specific conduct violates a plaintiff’s rights. Caldwell v. Moore, 968 F.2d 595, 599 (6th Cir.1992).

In its August 2, 1994 opinion and order, this court concluded that, while an abstract right to substantive due process has been clearly established, the law concerning a public official’s obligations in protecting an individual from private violence is not.clearly established. Doe. # 41 at 4-5. In reaching its conclusion, the court examined the holdings in DeShaney v. Winnebago County Dept. of Social Services, 489 U.S.

Chipman v. City of Florence, 866 F. Supp. 332, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15152, 1994 WL 577919 (E.D. Ky. 1994).

866 F. Supp. 332 (Chipman v. City of Florence) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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