Dixon v. Roscommon County

896 F. Supp. 2d 670, 2012 WL 4133036, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 132998
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedSeptember 18, 2012
DocketCase No. 09-14236
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 896 F. Supp. 2d 670 (Dixon v. Roscommon County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dixon v. Roscommon County, 896 F. Supp. 2d 670, 2012 WL 4133036, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 132998 (E.D. Mich. 2012).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER DENYING DEFENDANTS’ MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

THOMAS L. LUDINGTON, District Judge.

Is six seconds enough time for three police officers kneeling on top of a suspect to stop a fourth from choking the suspect? Put more precisely, could a reasonable person could conclude that it was enough time? That is the question in this case.

Plaintiff Ronald Dixon has brought suit against four officers — Deputies Joseph Quintana, Ronald Smith, and Allan Kory, and Sergeant William Tatrai — alleging that the officers violated Plaintiffs civil rights by using excessive force in arresting him. The three deputies move for summary judgment, contending that because “the alleged choking incident happened in a matter of seconds ... Defendants had no realistic opportunity to intervene and prevent [Sergeant Tatrai’s] alleged choking of Plaintiff.”

Contrary to the deputies’ contention, a reasonable person could conclude that there was sufficient time for the deputies to intervene on Plaintiffs behalf. The deputies had enough time for one of them to say to Plaintiff as he was being choked “You wanna play some more? Huh? You want to play some more? You like playing [672]*672with the police?” It will thus be up to the jury to decide whether they had time to tell Sergeant Tatrai to stop and to act to stop him. The deputies are not entitled to summary judgment on Plaintiffs excessive force claim.

I

A

On December 20, 2007, Plaintiff borrowed a green Ford Windstar van from his Mend, Theresa Dean, and drove to Saginaw, Michigan to drop off Christmas presents at his mother’s house. PL Dep. at 101-02, Aug. 5, 2010, attached as PL’s Resp. to Def.’s Mot. Summ. J. Ex. A, ECF No. 30-2. Plaintiff did not have a valid driver’s license at the time. Id. at 102. As he was traveling home during the early morning hours of December 21, 2007, the van lost power and stalled. Id. Plaintiff steered the van to the side of the road, where it came to a stop partially blocking a driveway. Id. at 105. Although he had a cellular phone in his possession, Plaintiff did not attempt to make any phone calls or secure assistance with the stalled vehicle. Id. Rather, he sat and waited. Id.

Sometime later, a police car pulled up behind the stalled van and Deputy Quintana approached the driver’s side window. Id. at 109. At the officer’s request, Plaintiff rolled down the window. Id. After greeting Deputy Quintana, Plaintiff explained that the van broke down and stated, falsely, that the van’s owner, Ms. Dean, had been driving and had left to go get help. M at 110; Video Tr. at 1, attached as Defs.’ Mot. Summ. J. Exs. 4,11, ECF Nos. 23-5, 23-12.1

Deputy Quintana asked Plaintiff for his name and identification. Video Tr. at 2. Plaintiff responded, again falsely, that he did not have identification and that his name was “Rob A. Tracy.” Id. at 2-3. Asked what the “A” stood for, Plaintiff told Deputy Quintana that the initial did not stand for anything. Quintana Dep. at 40, Aug. 4, 2010, attached as Def.’s Mot. Ex. 2.

Deputy Quintana was suspicious of Plaintiffs story. Id. at 40. He believed Plaintiff was under the influence of drugs because Plaintiffs eyes were glassy and bloodshot, but Deputy Quintana could not smell alcohol. Id. at 32. He also believed it was unusual that Plaintiffs first name was “Rob” rather than “Robert,” and that his middle name was simply “A.”

Walking around the van to look for Ms. Dean’s footprints in the fresh snow, Deputy Quintana did not see any. Id. The lack of footprints was inconsistent with Plaintiffs story that Dean had been driving and left the van to get help. Id. Deputy Quintana then returned to the patrol car to check the identification information he had obtained from Plaintiff. Video Tr. at 3.

Plaintiff testified during his deposition that he was “scared” following his initial interaction with Deputy Quintana because he believed he may be arrested. PL Dep. at 113. Plaintiff had five felony convictions on his record, an outstanding arrest warrant for what would become a sixth felony conviction, and a pipe with cocaine and marijuana residue in his possession. Id. at 113; Quintana Dep. at 41.

Deputy Quintana ran the name “Rob A. Tracy” through the LEIN database and discovered that Mr. Tracy’s driver’s license was suspended. Id. When Deputy Quintana returned to the van, Plaintiff was talking with Ms. Dean on Plaintiffs cellu[673]*673lar phone. Video Tr. at 4-5. Deputy Quintana asked to speak with Ms. Dean several times. Id. Plaintiff initially refused, but ultimately permitted Deputy Quintana to use the phone. Id. at 5-7. Ms. Dean told Deputy Quintana that Plaintiff was using the van with her permission, but that she had not been traveling with Plaintiff that evening. Id. Deputy Quintana informed Dean that Plaintiff was likely to be arrested for driving with a suspended license and that her van would be towed. Id.

Deputy Quintana then turned back to the van and discovered that Plaintiff had locked the doors and was attempting to roll up the windows. Id. at 8. The deputy inserted his hands into the window in an attempt to force it back down or break it. Quintana Dep. at 48. The attempt was not successful, and Plaintiff rolled up the windows. About this time, Deputies Quintana, Smith, and Kory, and Sergeant Tatrai had the following exchange:

Police: [Ms. Dean] knows that guy?
Police: Yeah....
Police: Yeah, okay. He’s saying she was with him?
Police: Yeah. He’s just trying to cover his butt you know.
Police: (inaudible)
Police: No, he was in the driver’s seat. He said oh I hopped over when she left.
Police: He’s, are you gonna fuck with him now?

Video Tr. at 8. At that point, Plaintiff again testified that he was “scared,” explaining he “knew [what] was going to come.” PI. Dep. at 114. Addressing Plaintiff, one of the officers called out:

Police: Hey Rob?
Police: He don’t want to talk anymore.
Police: Open the, open it up man. Open it up.
[Plaintiff]: What?
Police: Open the door. Open the door.
[Plaintiff]: I’m not opening the door.
Police: Okay. Well let, listen, right now you are under arrest okay.
[Plaintiff]: For what?
Police: So if you don’t open it we’re gonna break this window out and I’m gonna rip you out of the car. So I would suggest you open the door and get out.
[Plaintiff]: What am I under arrest for?
Police: For driving with a suspended license.
[Plaintiff]: I’m not driving. The vehicle broke down—

Video Tr. at 8. Plaintiff did not open the door, he later explained in his deposition, “[b]ecause as soon as he told me he was going to rip me out, I knew what was probably going to happen.” PL Dep. at 114.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
896 F. Supp. 2d 670, 2012 WL 4133036, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 132998, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dixon-v-roscommon-county-mied-2012.