Guerrero v. DeMatteo

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedAugust 7, 2023
Docket1:22-cv-01217
StatusUnknown

This text of Guerrero v. DeMatteo (Guerrero v. DeMatteo) 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
Guerrero v. DeMatteo, (E.D.N.Y. 2023).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK JOSE F. GUERRERO, Plaintiff, MEMORANDUM & ORDER against: 22-CV-1217 (NGG) (RER) BETH T. DOUGLAS, as Former Assistant Department Advocate, Police Department City of New York, JOSHUA P, KLEIMAN, as Former Assistant Department Advocate, Police Department City of New York, CHARLES DEMATTEO, as Sergeant, Major Case Squad, Police Department City of Yonkers, MEGAN MADUS, as Detective, Major Case Squad, Police Department City of Yonkers, DENNIS MULLIN, as Detective, Police Department City of Yonkers, ROBERT SPINK, as Police Officer, Police Department City of Yonkers, each sued individually and in their official capacities as employees of The City of New York and Yonkers, Defendants.

NICHOLAS G, GARAUFIS, United States District Judge. Plaintiff Jose Guerrero, a former sergeant with the New York Po- lice Department (“NYPD”), brings suit against various members of the NYPD and Yonkers Police Department (“YPD”) in their in- dividual and official capacities alleging denial of access to the courts in violation of 42 U.S.C. § 1983. (See Am. Compl. (Dit. 13) at 14-15.) Guerrero asserts that the Defendants withheld ex- culpatory evidence and made fabricated claims during the course of an NYPD disciplinary proceeding, ultimately leading to his ter- mination. The Defendants move to dismiss Guerrero’s Amended Gomplaint in its entirety, (See NYPD Mot. (Dkt. 23); YPD Mot.

(Dkt. 26).) For the reasons stated below, the motion to dismiss is GRANTED with prejudice. I. BACKGROUND! Guerrero, a former NYPD sergeant, was involved in a domestic dispute with his then-girlfriend Yahayra Feliz on December 23, 2015. (Am. Compl. 4 17.) Feliz was shot in the neck with Guer- rero’s off-duty 9MM handgun inside his apartment. Cd.) Thereafter, Defendants Megan Madaus, Charles DeMatteo, Den- nis Mullin, Robert Spink, and Douglas Brady, all Yonkers Police □ Department officers (“YPD Defendants”), purportedly created a “false case” against Guerrero alleging that he intentionally or recklessly discharged his handgun during an argument with Feliz

1 The following facts are taken from the Amended Complaint and, for the purposes of this motion to dismiss, are assumed to be true. See Ark. Pub. Emps. Ret. Sys. v. Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., 28 F.4th 343, 349 (2d Cir. 2022). Both parties attached supporting materials to their briefing on the instant motion. The court is permitted to consider documents that are in- corporated into the Amended Complaint by reference or that are “integral” to it. Chambers v. Time Warner, Inc., 282 F.3d 147, 152-53 (2d Cir. 2002), A document is integral “where the complaint relies heavily upon its terms and effect.” fd. at 153. Consideration of other materials would require the court to convert the motion to one for summary judgment and allow an opportunity for discovery. fd. at 154. Both the complaint in Guerrero v. City of Yonkers and Feliz’s interview with Douglas and Kleinman are incorpo- tated into the Amended Complaint by reference. (See Am. Compl. {| 13- 16; see also Dkts. 24-2, 24-3, 26-3.) Detective Madaus’s “Trial Room Testi- mony” is also referenced in the Amended Complaint and provided to the court. (See Am Compl. 4 18; see also Dkt. 26-7.) The court will thus con- sider these documents in weighing the instant motion. The Amended Complaint also references other documents that have not been provided to the court in this action, such as Feliz’s 2021 deposition testimony. (See Am Compl. 4 18.) The court cannot consider materials that are not dock- eted in this action. The other docurnents attached to the parties’ briefing, including those attached to the YPD Defendants’ motion, (see YPD Mot. at 7 2.6), are relevant but are not relied on by Guerrero’s Amended Com- plaint. The court thus excludes all other documents attached to the briefing over the motion.

over his infidelity. Ud.) Feliz, after recanting her initial story that she was shot while walking toward her apartment, signed a writ- ten statement claiming that she was shot by Guerrero following a heated dispute over his infidelity. Ud. { 18, 28, 52.) Guerrero alleges that Detective Madaus created this statement and forced Feliz to sign it while tired and medicated at the hospital. Ud. "4 25-26.) Guerrero was arrested by the YPD and suspended without pay from his NYPD job. (id. {| 35-36.) During grand jury proceedings in Westchester County on June 8, 2016, Feliz disavowed her written statement and admitted to subjecting Guerrero to domes- tic violence, entering his apartment without permission, retrieving his unsecured off-duty 9 MM handgun, and being in- jured in the resulting struggle. (id. {| 39-47.) Feliz also testified that she signed the written statement when “really tired” and “had a lot of meds [in her] body.” Ud. § 48.) Guerrero later cor- roborated this account as a witness. Ud. 99 56-58.) The Westchester County District Attorney withdrew the criminal charges against Guerrero on June 14, 2016. (Id. 4 59.) Shortly thereafter, Defendants Beth Douglas and Joshua Klein- man (“NYPD Defendants”), then Assistant Department Advocates for the NYPD, began a proceeding to investigate and adjudicate disciplinary charges brought against Guerrero (the “NYPD disciplinary proceeding”). Ud. (| 60, 65.) During this in- vestigation, a Westchester County Assistant District Attorney told Douglas that Feliz had disavowed the YPD criminal investigation, but Douglas did not communicate this renunciation to Guerrero. Cd. §§ 60-62.) Feliz spoke to the NYPD Defendants on August 3, 2017 and again disavowed the narrative that Guerrero intention- ally or recklessly discharged his 9MM handgun amidst an argument over his infidelity. dd. 1 63-66.) Feliz recorded this interview because she did not trust the police. (id. € 64.) Douglas

and Kleinman then interviewed the YPD Defendants and pro- ceeded with the disciplinary case. (Id. { 68.) in mid-August 2017, a disciplinary hearing was held before NYPD Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Trials David S. Weisel. (id. { 69.) During testimony on August 14, Feliz repeated the same statements that she made to the Westchester County grand jury in June 2016 and to Douglas and Kleinman on August 3, 2017——that Guerrero did not discharge his handgun intentionally or recklessly during an argument over his infidelity, but instead that the gun went off after she barged into his apartment and retrieved his firearm. (fd. {{ 69-70.) Guerrero and Sergeant Neil Casey of the NYPD Force Investigation Division corroborated Fe- liz’s account, while Detective Madaus and Officer Spink testified in opposition. Ud. {{ 71-78.) On December 15, 2017, Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Trials Weisel recommended Guerrero’s termination from the NYPD. (id. { 78.) Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill adopted this recommendation on February 1, 2018 and terminated Guerrero’s employment. (Id. 479.) On September 24, 2018, Guerrero sued the cities of New York and Yonkers, as well as various municipal employees associated with his criminal prosecution and termination from the NYPD, alleging false arrest, malicious prosecution, and race and gender- based discrimination. (See Feb. 4, 2020 M&O (Dkt. 28), Guerrero vy. City of Yonkers, et al., 18-CV-5353 (NGG) (RER) (E.D.N.Y. Feb. 4, 2020).) On February 4, 2020, this court dismissed Guerrero’s claims against the New York City-related defendants but allowed certain claims against the Yonkers defendants to proceed. (Id. at 13.) The remaining defendants filed a motion for summary judg- ment on November 18, 2021, which remains pending. (See Mot. for Summ. J. (Dkt. 43), Guerrero v.

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