Harvey v. Alameda County Medical Center

280 F. Supp. 2d 960, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14840, 2003 WL 22079502
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. California
DecidedAugust 25, 2003
DocketC 02-1382 MMC
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 280 F. Supp. 2d 960 (Harvey v. Alameda County Medical Center) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Harvey v. Alameda County Medical Center, 280 F. Supp. 2d 960, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14840, 2003 WL 22079502 (N.D. Cal. 2003).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT FILED BY DEFENDANTS ACMC AND LORIG; ORDER GRANTING IN PART MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT FILED BY DEFENDANT ALAMEDA COUNTY; REMANDING STATE LAW CLAIMS

CHESNEY, District Judge.

Before the Court are two motions for summary judgment, pursuant to Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, filed, respectively, by the County of Alameda (“County”), sued herein as the Alameda *964 Sheriffs Department, and by the Alameda County Medical Center (“ACMC”) and Milton Lorig, M.D. (“Dr.Lorig”). Plaintiff Dorothy Harvey (“Harvey”) has filed oppositions, to which defendants have replied. Having considered the papers filed in support of and in opposition to the motions, the Court rules as follows. 1

BACKGROUND 2

On May 16, 2001, Harvey, accompanied by her mother Luretha Harvey, went to Highland General Hospital (“Highland”) to seek treatment for chest pain. (Harvey Dep. at 41, 49-50; 3 Luretha Harvey Dep. at 13-15. 4 ) Highland is part of ACMC, a “public hospital authority.” (Simon Decl. at 2.) Harvey went to the emergency room area and advised a triage nurse that she felt she was having a heart attack because she was experiencing chest pains, shortness of breath, and a rapid heart beat. (Harvey Dep. at 50-51, 58.) After Harvey requested a wheelchair, the triage nurse provided one. (Harvey Dep. at 60.) The triage nurse put a hospital bracelet on Harvey’s wrist and directed Harvey to the registration desk. (Harvey Dep. at 60-61.) The triage nurse then pushed Harvey, who was in the wheelchair, to the registration desk. (Harvey Dep. at 62, 160.)

At the registration desk, Harvey gave a man at the desk her identification and health insurance information, and Harvey’s mother advised the man of Harvey’s symptoms. (Harvey Dep. at 62-66.) The triage nurse remained next to Harvey while Harvey was at the registration desk. (Harvey Dep. at 161.) Harvey was registered at 5:49 a.m. (Wells Decl. Ex. 8 at 9.) When the man at the registration desk stated that he had completed registering Harvey, the triage nurse told Harvey to wait in the waiting room. (Harvey Dep. at 66, 163.) Harvey responded, more than once, by saying that she could not go to the waiting room because she felt like she was having a heart attack. (Harvey Dep. at 69-70.) Harvey also asked for oxygen four or five times, but received no response other than “wait until your turn.” (Luretha Harvey Dep. at 19-20.) The triage nurse told Harvey “in a mean way” that if Harvey did not go to the waiting area, the triage nurse would get the sheriffs and have them escort Harvey out. (Harvey Dep. at 69, 164.) Harvey replied that she did not care. (Harvey Dep. at 167.) The triage nurse then walked away. (Harvey Dep. at 168.) During this encounter with the triage nurse, Harvey, afraid that she was having a heart attack, raised her voice and may have been yelling. (Harvey Dep. at 69-70.)

Deputy Sheriff Jason Arbuckle (“Deputy Arbuckle”) and Deputy Asha Jones Perez (“Deputy Perez”) were advised by hospital staff of a disturbance in the triage area. (Arbuckle Dep. at 34, 71-72; 5 Perez Dep. at 14^15. 6 ) When the triage nurse re *965 turned with the sheriffs, Harvey was still in the wheelchair near the registration desk. (Harvey Dep. at 89, 169-70.) A male nurse, “Tony,” was also in the area. (Arbuckle Dep. at 67-68.) At that time, Harvey was not yelling. (Harvey Dep. at 89.) Harvey, who remained frightened that she was having a heart attack and was intimidated by the sheriffs, told the sheriffs she was a “heart patient” and that she felt she was having a heart attack. (Harvey Dep. at 89.) Harvey’s mother was crying and telling the sheriffs that Harvey was a heart patient. (Harvey Dep. at 96.) Someone pushed Harvey’s mother out of the area. (Harvey Dep. at 96.) Deputy Arbuckle left the area and spoke with Harvey’s mother, who at that time was near the lobby. (Arbuckle Dep. at 70-78.)

Deputy Perez told Harvey to go to the public waiting area. (Harvey Dep. at 90.) After Harvey told Perez she would not leave because she felt she was having a heart attack, Perez approached, but did not touch, Harvey. (Harvey Dep. at 90-92.) Harvey, still in the wheelchair, then swung her purse at Perez. (Harvey Dep. at 91.) 7 The purse hit Perez around her chest area. (Harvey Dep. at 93.) Perez immediately ran to Harvey, grabbed her by the hair and threw her on the ground. (Harvey Dep. at 93.)

As Harvey was being pulled out the wheelchair, someone slammed her face to the ground, causing a bridge in her mouth to break and fall out. (Harvey Dep. at 113, 115.) At that time, Harvey was on the floor, face down. (Harvey Dep. at 96.) Harvey said “please don’t treat me like this. I feel like Pm— I’m a heart patient.” (Harvey Dep. at 95.) One person, and possibly others, put their knees in Harvey’s back. (Harvey Dep. at 111.) While Harvey was on the ground, someone slammed her face into the floor. (Harvey Dep. at 111.)

Deputy Arbuckle returned to the scene, saw Harvey on the ground, and then handcuffed Harvey’s hands behind her back. (Arbuckle Dep. 75, 78; Harvey Dep. at 97, 98, 101.) Harvey did not resist him or anyone else. (Harvey Dep. at 99; Arbuck-le Dep. at 88.) As Harvey was being handcuffed, Deputy Perez told Deputy Ar-buckle that she was not going to arrest Harvey but “was going to 5150 her.” 8 (Perez Dep. at 47.) Deputy Perez then advised “Tony,” the nurse who was present, of her decision. (Perez Dep. at 49.)

“More than one deputy” then pulled Harvey up to a sitting position, and one “deputy” pushed Harvey’s head downward, causing Harvey to gasp for breath. (Harvey Dep. at 99-101.) After Harvey had been pulled up to a sitting position, a “doctor” came and injected Harvey with Haldol. (Harvey Dep. at 101.) Harvey was then put on a gurney. (Arbuckle Dep. at 91.) Another deputy, Deputy Hayes, arrived as Harvey was being placed on the gurney. (Arbuckle Dep. at 91.) Harvey was then taken on the gurney to the emergency room. (Arbuckle Dep. at 96, 98.) In the emergency room, Harvey was strapped to the gurney and Deputy Ar-buckle removed the handcuffs. (Arbuckle Dep. 92, 98; Harvey Dep. at 101.) Harvey did not resist. (Arbuckle Dep. at 98.) None of the “deputies” advised Harvey of her rights or that she was going to be evaluated. (Harvey Dep. at 104.)

*966 Deputy Perez went to her officé to fill out a “5150 report.” (Perez Dep. at 52.) On a form titled Application for Emergency Psychiatric Detention, Perez, in response to the question “What situation had developed prompting request for help from police/medical staff?,” wrote “violent, combative, pressured speech, paranoid behavior.” (Perez Dep. at 55-56; Wells Decl. Ex.

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Bluebook (online)
280 F. Supp. 2d 960, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14840, 2003 WL 22079502, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/harvey-v-alameda-county-medical-center-cand-2003.