Greenaway v. County of Nassau

97 F. Supp. 3d 225, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 43037, 2015 WL 1509486
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedMarch 31, 2015
DocketNo. 11-CV-2024 (WFK)(AKT)
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 97 F. Supp. 3d 225 (Greenaway v. County of Nassau) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Greenaway v. County of Nassau, 97 F. Supp. 3d 225, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 43037, 2015 WL 1509486 (E.D.N.Y. 2015).

Opinion

DECISION AND ORDER

WILLIAM F. KUNTZ, II, District Judge:

Plaintiffs Shuay’b Greenaway, his mother Sharon Knight, and his stepfather Avery Knight (collectively “Plaintiffs”) bring this suit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, the Fourth, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution, and New York State common law, against the County of Nassau (“Nassau County”), Nassau County Police Officers Vincent Papa, Ronald Schmitt, Clarence Hudson, and William Stio, the Incorporated Village of Hempstead (“Hempstead”), and Hempstead Police Officers Frane Reado and Walter Ohr (collectively “Defendants”). Plaintiff Greenaway alleges causes of action for false arrest and imprisonment, excessive force, and violations of substantive due process in violation of Section 1983, and assault, battery, gross negligence, and trespass in violation of New York state law. All Plaintiffs further allege causes of action for intentional infliction of emotional distress or, in the alternative, negligent infliction of emotional distress. Nassau County (“Nassau”), Vincent Papa, Ronald Schmitt, Clarence Hudson, and William Stio (collectively the “Nassau Defendants”) filed a motion for summary judgment. For the reasons discussed below, the Nassau Defendants’ motion is hereby GRANTED on the substantive due process, negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress claims, and DENIED on the false imprisonment, excessive force, assault, battery, and trespass claims, as well as on the Nassau Defendants’ claim of qualified immunity.

BACKGROUND

The events recounted below are undisputed or described in the light most favorable to Plaintiffs, the non-moving parties. See Capobianco v. City of New York, 422 F.3d 47, 50 n. 1 (2d Cir.2005).

Greenaway’s Health and History

Plaintiff Shuay’b Greenaway (“Greena-way”) is a field engineer at Extreme Installs, is married to Melissa Prentice Greenaway, and has a young son. Dkt. 47-1 (“PI. Counter-Statement”) at ¶¶ 7-8.

In 2002, Greenaway was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Id. at ¶ 11. As a result, when Greenaway’s mental health “decom-pensated,” he would display a number of non-violent behavioral oddities. Id. at ¶¶ 15-16. In 2007 and 2009, Greenaway’s mother, Sharon Knight (“Mrs. Knight”), called 911 to request assistance with transporting her son to the hospital for treatment for his mental health condition. Id. at ¶¶ 39, 41. During the 2007 and 2009 incidents, Greenaway was reluctant to go to the hospital, but did not commit or threaten any violence against the Village of Hempstead police officers who appeared on the scene pursuant to the 911 requests.Id. at ¶¶ 38, 40, 42, 44; Dkt. 46-1 (“Def. Material Facts”) at ¶¶ 11-12.

Events of April 25, 2010

On April 25, 2010, Greenaway did not take his dosage of Risperdal, the medication he had been prescribed for his mental illness. PI. Counter-Statement at ¶¶ 19, 29, 31. Mrs. Knight called 911 for assistance with her son whom she described to the operator as “not dangerous” but in need of help; the operator called the police. Dkt. 46-2 (“Preston Decl.”) Ex. B at 19:9-20:25. At the time, Greena-way was a 32-year-old student at Nassau [230]*230Community College weighing approximately 220-230 pounds and standing approximately five feet nine inches (5'9") tall. Pl. Counter-Statement at ¶¶ 10, 13. He had no history of violence. Id. at ¶ 37.

Village of Hempstead police officers Reado (misspelled as “Redo” in the caption) and Ohr (collectively the “Hempstead Police Officers”) arrived on the scene at 221 Amherst Street, Hempstead, New York, followed by Nassau police officers ■Papa, Schmitt, Hudson, and Stio (collectively the “Nassau Police Officers”). Def. Material Facts at ¶¶ 14-15, 20. _ Plaintiff Greenaway was preparing to move into the house at that address, which was owned by Mrs. Knight and her husband Avery Knight'(“Mr. Knight”). Dkt. 47-1 (“Pl. Disputed Facts”) at ¶ 1; Pl. Counter-Statement at ¶ 6. The Nassau Police Officers had received a call about a “mental aided” person at the location. Def. Material Facts at ¶ 19. However, the Nassau Police Officers did not make inquiries about Greenaway’s specific mental health condition, background, or behavior before interacting with Greenaway, as required by Nassau County Police Department policy. Pl. Counter-Statement at ¶ 79. Consequently, the Nassau police officers began their interaction with Greenaway knowing very little about his condition or current behavior. Id. at ¶¶ 60, 83.

Greenaway was inside the bathroom, painting, when the Nassau Police Officers first saw him. Dkt. 37 (“Am. Complaint”) at ¶¶ 29, 45^17. Greenaway was speaking with Hempstead police officer Reado; however, Greenaway was not cursing, being violent, or making threats. Pl.' Counter-Statement at ¶ 91. The Nassau and Hempstead Police Officers decided that Greenaway needed to go to the hospital. Def. Material Facts at ¶ 24. When Green-away would not leave the bathroom, the Nassau and Hempstead Police Officers physically ejected Mr. and Mrs. Knight from the bedroom adjacent to the bathroom. Def. Material Facts at ¶¶ 27-30; Pl. Disputed Facts at ¶¶ 27-30; Pl. Counter-Statement at ¶¶ 95-99. Mr. Knight told the Nassau Police Officers to leave his home. Pl. Counter-Statement at ¶ 104. One or more of the Nassau Police Officers then tased Greenaway three or four times. Dkt. 47-2 (“Brewington Decl.”) Ex. I at 69-70; Def. Material Facts ¶ 38. The second and third tasings occurred in stun mode, with the taser held next to Greena-way’s body. Brewington Decl. Ex. E at 75-76, 84.

The Nassau Defendants claim that, before they first tased Greenaway, Greena-way “threatened” the Nassau Police Officers with a paint roller (though Defendant Papa also described this as Greenaway “trying to play games”), took his pants off, rubbed paint on his genitals, and made taunts. Def. Material Facts at ¶¶ 35-36; Brewington Decl. Ex. E. at 64, 67; Ex. G at 55-56, 60; Ex. H at 50-51, 59. Plaintiffs deny any threatening behavior by Greenaway. Pl. Disputed Facts at ¶ 35. Plaintiffs point out that Defendant Stio himself stated that Greenaway only used the paint roller to paint and makes. no mention of “threats,” and that Nassau County Ambulance Medical Technician Arce said Greenaway never made threats or committed violence before being tased. Brewington Decl. Ex. F at 44, 50; Ex. I at 73-74. Plaintiffs further deny that Green-away was ever rubbing paint on his genitals, stating that he became covered with paint when he fell down on the paint-covered floor after being tased. Pl. Disputed Facts at ¶ 36; Brewington Decl. Ex. C at 55.

The Nassau Defendants allege that, after Greenaway was tased, he reached for Papa’s weapon; they further allege that, after Greenaway was tased a second and third time, he “brought the officers down [231]*231to the floor,” “swung punches” at them, and ripped off Schmitt’s shirt and undershirt. Def. Material Facts at ¶¶48^9. Plaintiffs deny any such struggle. PI. Disputed Facts ¶¶ 48-49.

Physical and Psychological Aftermath

Greenaway suffered puncture wounds as a result of the taser shots and had to see a doctor for painful and persistent swelling on his chest. PI. Counter-Statement at ¶¶ 52, 212. Greenaway now has a permanent scar on his chest from the taser shots. Id. at ¶ 211.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Sanabria v. City of New York
E.D. New York, 2025
McNeil v. Van Houten
N.D. New York, 2025
Li v. Peck
D. Connecticut, 2022
Gazzola v. County of Nassau
E.D. New York, 2022
Kaplan v. County of Orange
S.D. New York, 2021
Joyner v. Spinelli
N.D. New York, 2020
Stratakos v. Nassau County
E.D. New York, 2019
Ivery v. Baldauf
284 F. Supp. 3d 426 (W.D. New York, 2018)
Wilkinson v. Lewis
289 F. Supp. 3d 371 (N.D. New York, 2018)
Hulett v. City of Syracuse
253 F. Supp. 3d 462 (N.D. New York, 2017)
Frederique v. County of Nassau
168 F. Supp. 3d 455 (E.D. New York, 2016)
Collazo v. County of Suffolk
163 F. Supp. 3d 27 (E.D. New York, 2016)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
97 F. Supp. 3d 225, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 43037, 2015 WL 1509486, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/greenaway-v-county-of-nassau-nyed-2015.