Cordova v. Aragon

560 F. Supp. 2d 1041, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 69730, 2008 WL 2120505
CourtDistrict Court, D. Colorado
DecidedMay 20, 2008
DocketCivil Action 07-cv-00879-EWN-CBS
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 560 F. Supp. 2d 1041 (Cordova v. Aragon) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cordova v. Aragon, 560 F. Supp. 2d 1041, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 69730, 2008 WL 2120505 (D. Colo. 2008).

Opinion

ORDER AND MEMORANDUM OF DECISION

EDWARD W. NOTTINGHAM, Chief Judge.

This is a civil rights and wrongful death case. Plaintiff Tracey Cordova, as person *1043 al representative of the estate of Toby Cordova, alleges that Defendants Derek Aragon and the City of Commerce City violated Mr. Cordova’s Fourth Amendment rights by using excessive force to terminate a police chase by fatally shooting Mr. Cordova. Plaintiffs Tracey Cor-dova, Morgan Douthit, and Divinity Cor-dova — as Mr. Cordova’s survivors — also assert state law claims for wrongful death. This matter is before the court on Defendants’ “Combined Motion and Memorandum Brief in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment,” filed December 27, 2007, Defendants’ “Motion to Strike Plaintiffs’ Untimely Expert Disclosures,” filed March 12, 2008, and Defendants’ “Motion to Exclude Expert Testimony,” filed May 2, 2008. Jurisdiction is proper pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1381, 1367.

FACTS

1. Factual Background

On May 3, 2006, Officer James Zamora of the Commerce City Police Department (“CCPD”) was patrolling the area of Fairway Drive and Heartland Drive in the Reunion subdivision of Commerce City, Colorado. (Combined Mot. and Mem. Br. in Supp. of Mot. for Summ. J. [hereinafter “Defs.’ Br.”], Statement of Undisputed and Assumed Facts [hereinafter “SOF”] ¶ 1 [filed Dec. 27, 2007]; admitted at Pis.’ Mem. in Opp’n to Combined Mot. and Mem. Br. in Supp. of Mot. for Summ. J. [hereinafter “Pis.’ Resp.”], Resp. to Statement of Undisputed Material Facts [hereinafter “RSOF”] ¶ 1 [filed Jan. 23, 2008].) This area was the site of new home construction, and there had recently been repeated thefts from construction sites. (Id., SOF ¶ 2; admitted at Pis.’ Resp., RSOF ¶ 2.)

At approximately 12:58 A.M., Officer Zamora observed a suspicious truck, which was later identified as a 1990 Chevrolet with dual wheels, towing a trailer on which there was a skid-steer loader. 1 (Id.) The loader was later determined to have been stolen. (Id., SOF ¶ 65; admitted at Pis.’ Resp., RSOF ¶ 65.) After running the license plate number, Officer Zamora determined that the trailer was not registered to an address in the vicinity. (Id., SOF ¶3; admitted at Pis.’ Resp., RSOF ¶ 3.) Officer Zamora initiated a traffic stop near the 10500 block of Chambers Drive, but the truck failed to stop after Officer Zamora activated both his overhead lights and emergency siren. (Id., SOF ¶¶ 5-6; admitted at Pis.’ Resp., RSOF ¶¶ 5-6.) The truck proceeded through a solid red light at the intersection of 104th Avenue and Chambers Road, turned, and headed west on 104th Avenue. (Id., SOF ¶7; admitted at Pis.’ Resp., RSOF ¶ 7.)

Officer Janae Rubino, also of the CCPD, heard over the radio that Officer Zamora was initiating a traffic stop of a suspicious vehicle and headed toward his location. (Id., SOF ¶8; admitted at Pis.’ Resp., RSOF ¶ 8.) Officer Derek Aragon and his trainee, Officer Dax Nance 2 — also both of the CCPD — heard and did likewise. (Id., SOF ¶¶ 9-10; admitted at Pis.’ Resp., RSOF ¶¶ 9-10.)

After radio contact with his supervisor, Sgt. Scott Robinson, Officer Zamora was ordered to terminate the pursuit near *1044 104th Avenue and Blackhawk Street. (Id., SOF ¶ 11; admitted at Pis.’ Resp., RSOF ¶ 11.) Officer Zamora turned south on Blackhawk, aired his location and the direction the truck was traveling, deactivated his lights and sirens, and came to a stop. (Id., SOF ¶ 12; admitted at Pis.’ Resp., RSOF ¶ 12.) Sgt. Robinson aired that officers should attempt to seal off the area if possible, in case the suspect attempted to flee on foot. (Id., SOF ¶ 13; admitted at Pis.’ Resp., RSOF ¶ 13.)

Officer Zamora sat in his patrol car for a few moments and watched the taillights of the truck as it crossed Highway 2. (Id., SOF ¶ 14; admitted at Pis.’ Resp., RSOF ¶ 14.) Officer Zamora again aired the truck’s location. (Id.) Once the truck was a mile or more down the road, Officer Zamora made a u-turn and continued down westbound 104th Avenue, maintaining his distance and not pursuing the truck. (Id., SOF ¶ 15; admitted at Pis.’ Resp., RSOF ¶ 15.)

As Officer Zamora proceeded down 104th Avenue, he noticed that a train was crossing the road, blocking any traffic. (Id., SOF ¶ 16; admitted at Pis.’ Resp., RSOF ¶ 16.) Officer Zamora aired on his radio that the train was blocking the road, and that the truck was likely blocked within the general area. (Id., SOF ¶ 17; admitted at Pis.’ Resp., RSOF ¶ 17.) Officers Aragon and Nance were on the other side of the passing train. (Id., SOF ¶ 18; admitted at Pis.’ Resp., RSOF ¶ 18.) Officer Zamora then watched the truck pull into a business parking lot off of 104th Avenue. (Id., SOF ¶ 19; admitted at Pis.’ Resp., RSOF ¶ 19.) The truck went to the back of the parking lot and turned off its lights. (Id.)

Along with Officers Rubino and Walkin-shaw, 3 Officer Zamora attempted to set up a perimeter around the building and the parking lot to prevent the truck from leaving. (Id., SOF ¶ 20; admitted at Pis.’ Resp., RSOF ¶ 20.) By the time Officer Zamora entered the parking lot, however, the truck had turned around and was headed straight in Officer Zamora’s direction. (Id., SOF ¶ 21; admitted at Pis.’ Resp., RSOF ¶ 2 1.) Officer Zamora moved out of the way and spun around to follow the truck. (Id.) Officer Rubino affied that the truck drove directly at her, and that she had to make an evasive turn to avoid being hit. (Id., Ex. B ¶ 5 [Rubino Aff.].) Officer Rubino aired on the radio that the truck had attempted to ram her, and Officers Aragon, Nance, and Zamora heard the communication. (Id., SOF ¶ 23; admitted at Pis.’ Resp., RSOF ¶ 23.)

The pursuit restarted, and the officers in the area activated their lights and sirens in an attempt to stop the truck. (Id., SOF ¶ 24; admitted in relevant part at Pis.’ Resp., RSOF ¶ 24.) Despite the lights and sirens of multiple police vehicles, the truck again refused to stop. (Id., SOF ¶ 25; admitted in relevant part at

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Related

Cordova v. Aragon
569 F.3d 1183 (Tenth Circuit, 2009)

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Bluebook (online)
560 F. Supp. 2d 1041, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 69730, 2008 WL 2120505, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cordova-v-aragon-cod-2008.