Goodhile v. Gribbons

186 F. Supp. 3d 4, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 64106, 2016 WL 2858781
CourtDistrict Court, D. Massachusetts
DecidedMay 16, 2016
DocketCIVIL ACTION NO. 4:14-CV-40036-TSH
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 186 F. Supp. 3d 4 (Goodhile v. Gribbons) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Goodhile v. Gribbons, 186 F. Supp. 3d 4, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 64106, 2016 WL 2858781 (D. Mass. 2016).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER ON DEFENDANTS’ MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT (Docket No, 50), PLAINTIFF’S CROSS-MOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT (Docket No, 64), PLAINTIFF’S MOTION TO STRIKE (Docket No. 63), AND PLAINTIFF’S SUPPLEMENTAL MOTION TO STRIKE (Docket No. 71)

HILLMAN, District Judge,

Cynthia Goodhile brought this suit on behalf of her husband, Arnold Goodhile, who passed away approximately two months after a violent encounter with members of the Holden police department. Mr. Goodhile was seventy-six years old at the time of the incident and suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. Mrs. Goodhile alleges excessive force and various common-law causes of action against the Town of Holden and Officer Anthony Gribbons (collectively, Defendants). Defendants move for summary judgment, and Mrs. Goodhile cross-moves for partial summary judgment on her negligence claim. Mrs. Goodhile also moves to strike two paragraphs from Defendants’ statement of material facts, as well as a photograph attached thereto.

For the reason set forth below, Defendants’ motion for summary judgment (Docket No. 50) is granted with regard to count IV, and denied with regard to counts I, II, III, and VIII. Plaintiffs cross-motion for partial summary judgment (Docket No. 64) is denied. Plaintiffs motion to strike (Docket No. 63) is denied as to paragraph 7 of Defendants’ statement of material facts, and granted as to paragraph 41. Plaintiffs supplemental motion to strike (Docket No. 71) is granted.

Background

On July 7, 2011, at around 6:30 a.m., Cynthia Goodhile saw her seventy-six-year-old husband, Arnold Goodhile, walk by the dining room of their house, dressed and heading out the door. Mr. Goodhile had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2007 or 2008. His disease was in a “slowly progressive” status, but he remained “physically able.” (Docket No. 52-1 at 11.) Mrs. Goodhile followed Mr. Goo-dhile to the door, down the stairs toward the driveway, and asked him where he was headed. He turned toward her but did not answer her question. When he turned, Mrs. Goodhile saw that he was carrying a sheathed fishing knife. Mrs. Goodhile asked him again where he was going, and again he did not respond. He continued [7]*7down the stairs to the driveway. Mrs. Goo-dhile went back inside the-house and called 911. Her conversation with the dispatcher went as follows: - -

Dispatcher: 911 This line is recorded, what’s your emergency?
Caller: My name is Cyndi Goodhile, I live at--—.-My husband has Alzheimer’s, and um, he is a little bit out of control this morning he just walked out the house- down towards ' Goo-dhile’s store- and- he’s got a like a fishing knife in his hand
Dispatcher: Ok, he’s heading toward Goodhile’s?
Caller: Yup, down towards the store, we live at-right around the corner from the store
Dispatcher: OK Cyndi, what’s your phone number? '
Caller:--—
Dispatcher:-
Caller: Yup
Dispatcher: Ok I will send an officer down and see if we can (inaudible)... OK
Caller: Thank you, bye.
Dispatcher: Bye bye.

(Docket No. 52-2 at 2.)

The dispatcher, David Glasberg, radioed Officer Anthony Gribbons. Glasberg did not tell Gribbons that Mr. Goodhile had Alzheimer’s disease. And, he construed Mrs. Goodhile’s statement that “he is a little bit out of control this morning” to mean that he might do harm to himself. The communication between Glasberg and Gribbons went as follows:

Dispatcher: H to 34 [Gribbons]
Responder: Go ahead H
Dispatcher: Ah, can you swing down to ah, from-and head towards Goodhile’s, I have a party calling- reporting- her husband ah is is heading down that direction ah with a knife in his hand she is afraid he might do harm to himself, again that was ah call from - heading toward Goo-dhile’s.
Responder: Received, do you have a name there?
Dispatcher: Ah, reporting party was Cindy, ah, actually last name Goo-dhile, ah, party in question is Arnold Goodhile ' ■
Responder: Coming from Malden at Redgate
Dispatcher: Received
Responder: (Inaudible)... I’m coming from the station
Responder: (Inaudible)... H is he on foot or in a vehicle?
Dispatcher: Ah, he’s on foot at this time

(Docket No. 52-2 at 2-3.)

When Officer Gribbons arrived at the Goodhile’s Variety Store, he saw Mr. Goo-dhile walking aimlessly in the empty parking lot outside the store, holding a sheathed knife. He was wearing slippers. Officer Gribbons exited his cruiser, drew his firearm, called Mr. Goodhile by name, and ordered him to put down the knife and get down on the ground. In response, Mr. Goodhile began to walk toward Gribbons. Mr. Goodhile did not drop the knife, did not say anything, and moved very slowly. The knife had a fixed blade that was encased in a leather sheath, and Mr. Goo-dhile was holding the knife in front of him. Throughout the encounter, his hands never moved on the knife.

Officer Robert Himmer and Lieutenant Christopher Carey arrived at the scene in a separate cruiser while Mr. Goodhile was facing Gribbons. Himmer immediately exited the cruiser and drew his firearm. He ordered Mr. Goodhile to drop the knife, calling him by name. Mr. Goodhile turned and began walking toward Himmer. Carey [8]*8heard Gribbons call out multiple times for Mr. Goodhile to drop the knife. Carey also ordered Mr. Goodhile to drop the knife, calling him by name. Mr. Goodhile then started walking toward Carey, who had not drawn his firearm and was standing behind the door of his cruiser.

What happened next is disputed. It is undisputed that, as Mr. Goodhile was walking toward Carey and Himmer, Grib-bons holstered his firearm, took out his metal baton, approached Mr. Goodhile from behind, and struck him multiple times with the baton. It is also undisputed that, after being struck, Mr. Goodhile ended up on the ground. Gribbons testified during his deposition that he struck Mr. Goodhile twice. First he struck him on the right arm, in an attempt to force him to drop the knife. After Mr. Goodhile failed to react, Gribbons struck him on his right leg, which caused him to stumble and begin to fall.

Mrs. Goodhile had left her house after making the 911 call and caught up to Mr. Goodhile in time to witness him being struck by Gribbons. The Goodhile’s Variety Store is a short walk from her residence. According to Mrs. Goodhile’s deposition testimony, Gribbons struck Mr. Goodhile three times. The first strike was on his right calf; the second on his left calf; the third on his left elbow. In a statement made to the police, Mrs. Goo-dhile also identified a fourth strike to Mr. Goodhile’s hands. After the three or four strikes, Mr. Goodhile still did not drop the knife; so, according to Mrs. Goodhile, Gribbons “took him down to the ground.” (Docket No. 62-1 at 13.)

It is undisputed that the knife was sheathed throughout the encounter, and that Mr.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
186 F. Supp. 3d 4, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 64106, 2016 WL 2858781, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/goodhile-v-gribbons-mad-2016.