Dustin Chambers v. Lieutenant Mr. Couzzi, Corporal Mr. T. Kluk, Sergeant Mr. Rodgers, and Nurse Ms. Jo

District Court, M.D. North Carolina·Decided July 23, 2026·No. 1:24-cv-00562·Unknown

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA

DUSTIN CHAMBERS, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) 1:24CV562 ) LIEUTENANT MR. COUZZI, ) CORPORAL MR. T. KLUK, ) SERGEANT MR. RODGERS, and ) NURSE MS. JO, ) ) Defendants. )

ORDER, MEMORANDUM OPINION, AND RECOMMENDATION OF UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Dustin Chambers’ cellmate at present evidence of his claims. Rockingham County Jail had a Accordingly, the defendants are medical emergency on May 1, 2024, entitled to judgment as a matter of and Chambers called for help. When law. The Court should grant their officers responded to the cell, motions for summary judgment. Lieutenant Mr. Couzzi, Corporal Mr. T. Kluk, and Sergeant Mr. Rodgers Peach also moved to seal portions of allegedly used excessive force against her brief and affidavit in support of Chambers, and “Nurse Ms. Jo” was her motion for summary judgment, as allegedly deliberately indifferent to well as all of Exhibit 1 to her affidavit, the injuries he sustained. Chambers which contain excerpts of Chambers’ brings this action against the medical records. Docket Entry 38. defendants pursuant to 42 U.S.C. Because the public’s First § 1983 for violating his Eighth Amendment right of access outweighs Amendment rights. Chambers’ privacy interest, the motion to seal is denied. This matter is now before the Court on Joanna Peach’s motion for summary I. FAILURE TO RESPOND judgment, Docket Entry 35, and her Upon the defendants’ filing of their co-defendants’ (“the Officers’”) respective motions for summary motion for summary judgment, judgment, on October 9, 2025, the Docket Entry 39. Chambers did not Clerk of Court mailed Chambers the respond to either motion, failing to standard Roseboro letter informing although Chambers’ failure to him of the motions and his right to respond may leave the defendants’ respond. The letter warned Chambers facts uncontroverted, they “must still that if he failed to respond to the show that the uncontroverted facts motions, the Court may “conclude entitle [them] to ‘a judgment as a that the defendant(s)’ contentions are matter of law.’” Id. See also Campbell undisputed and/or that you no longer v. Hewitt, Coleman & Assocs., Inc., 21 wish to pursue the matter” and grant F.3d 52, 55-56 (4th Cir. 1994) (noting judgment in favor of the defendants. that, even in the absence of a Docket Entry 41. See also M.D.N.C. response, “the court should look at the Civ. L.R. 7.3(k) (“If no response brief movant’s own papers . . . [and] is filed within the time required by determine if the record of filed this rule, the motion will be depositions, answers to considered and decided as an interrogatories, admissions, and uncontested motion, and ordinarily affidavits[] demonstrates that a will be granted without further genuine issue exists as to any material notice.”). Despite the Court’s fact”). warning, Chambers has not responded to either motion,1 nor did The uncontroverted facts do show just he verify the factual allegations in his that, as set forth in further detail Complaint, see Docket Entry 2, such below. that they could be considered as more II. FACTS than mere allegations, see Gowen v. Winfield, 130 F.4th 162, 175-76 (4th On May 1, 2024, Chambers was an Cir. 2025). inmate at the Rockingham County Detention Center (“Jail”) when, at Nevertheless, the Court cannot approximately 7:20 a.m., his cellmate summarily grant the defendants’ suffered a medical emergency. motions because Chambers’ failure to Windell Brown Aff. ¶¶ 2, 3, Docket respond “does not fulfill the burdens Entry 32-1. Someone in Chambers’ imposed on moving parties by Rule 56 cell pressed the intercom, and Officers [of the Federal Rules of Civil Couzzi, Rodgers, and Kluk, among Procedure].” Custer v. Pan Am. Life others, others responded. Id. ¶ 4. Ins. Co., 12 F.3d 410, 416 (4th Cir. 1993). When officers arrived, “Chambers exited his cell in an aggressive manner “Rule 56 requires that the moving and confronted the responding party establish, in addition to the officers.” Id. ¶ 5. They told him to absence of a dispute over any material move aside so his cellmate could fact, that it is ‘entitled to a judgment receive medical attention. Id. But as a matter of law.’” Id. Thus, Chambers began arguing “so he was

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Dustin Chambers v. Lieutenant Mr. Couzzi, Corporal Mr. T. Kluk, Sergeant Mr. Rodgers, and Nurse Ms. Jo, (M.D.N.C. 2026).

Dustin Chambers v. Lieutenant Mr. Couzzi, Corporal Mr. T. Kluk, Sergeant Mr. Rodgers, and Nurse Ms. Jo (Dustin Chambers v. Lieutenant Mr. Couzzi, Corporal Mr. T. Kluk, Sergeant Mr. Rodgers, and Nurse Ms. Jo) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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