Hassan Reid v. Mathew Finn, et. al.

CourtDistrict Court, D. New Jersey
DecidedOctober 31, 2025
Docket3:20-cv-07425
StatusUnknown

This text of Hassan Reid v. Mathew Finn, et. al. (Hassan Reid v. Mathew Finn, et. al.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Jersey primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hassan Reid v. Mathew Finn, et. al., (D.N.J. 2025).

Opinion

NOT FOR PUBLICATION

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY

HASSAN REID,

Plaintiff, Civil Action No. 20-7425 (ZNQ) (RLS)

v. OPINION

MATHEW FINN, et. al.,

Defendants.

QURAISHI, District Judge THIS MATTER comes before the Court upon separate Motions for Summary Judgment filed by Defendant Mathew Finn (“Finn”) (Finn MSJ, ECF No. 130), Defendant Jeffrey Boley (“Boley”) (Boley MSJ, ECF No. 131), Defendant Daniel Marcinko (“Marcinko”) (Marcinko MSJ, ECF No. 132), and Defendant Eugene Marra (“Marra”, with Finn, Boley, and Marcinko, “Defendants”) (Marra MSJ, ECF No. 133). Plaintiff Hassan Reid (“Plaintiff”) filed a single Opposition (“Opp.”, ECF No. 134), to which Defendants individually replied (ECF Nos. 139, 140, 142, and 143). The Court has carefully considered the parties’ submissions and decides the Motions without oral argument pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 78 and Local Civil Rule 78.1. For the reasons set forth below, the Court will DENY the Defendants’ Motions. I. BACKGROUND AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY It is undisputed that on March 11, 2020, Plaintiff was arrested by the Perth Amboy Police Department under Warrant No. 2020-000292 and Warrant No. 2020-000293. (Finn Ex. B at 12– 13.)1 Plaintiff was then transported to the Raritan Bay Medical Center (“RMBC”) for evaluation, where he was diagnosed with high blood pressure, a sprained hand, and a strain of the lumbar region. (Finn Ex. C.) RMBC provided Plaintiff with medication to treat those diagnoses. (Id.) The medical center also physically cleared Plaintiff for incarceration. (Id.)

After Plaintiff arrived at the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center (“MCACC”) on March 12, 2020, he underwent an intake screening by NaphCare medical staff. (Finn Ex. D.) Records from that screening noted Plaintiff’s prior treatment from the medical center and the medications RMBC gave him. (Id. at 6.) At that point, the parties’ stories begin to diverge. According to Plaintiff, while he was still in the intake unit2, he approached the officer desk because he felt his blood pressure rising and was concerned he could have a stroke. (Plaintiff Dep., Finn Ex. E at 29:19–22, 61:9–11.) The officer at the desk allegedly refused to provide him with medical attention and told Plaintiff to return to his cell. (Id. at 30:14–20.) Plaintiff reiterated to the officer that he needed medical attention and was unsure if he needed more medication for his high blood pressure. (Id.) At that

point, additional officers came into the intake unit and surrounded Plaintiff. (Id. 30:21–21.) Those officers, according to Plaintiff, grabbed him, twisted his wrist, and brought him to the ground. (Id. at 30:21–31:4.) As Plaintiff was on the ground, the officers maced him, handcuffed him, and picked him back up. (Id. at 31:1–8.) The officers then placed a mask on Plaintiff’s face and walked him through the intake unit and to the SNU.3 (Id. at 31:6–22.) While the officers were walking Plaintiff to the SNU, they allegedly rammed his head into a wall multiple times. (Id. at

1 All references to “Finn Ex.” refer to the exhibits accompanying Finn’s Motion for Summary Judgment. (ECF Nos. 130-4 to 130-28.) References to “Boley Ex.” refer to the exhibits accompanying Boley’s Motion for Summary Judgment. (ECF Nos. 132-7 to 132-30.) 2 The intake unit is also referred to as the “November Unit.” 3 Plaintiff described the SNU as “a special facility that’s connected next door to intake.” (Plaintiff Dep. at 32:19–24.) 31:13–19, 77:15–19.) Once the officers had Plaintiff in the SNU, they allegedly brought him to a back room, where Marcinko called him a racial slur and, along with the other Defendants4, started punching him in the stomach. (Id. at 31:21–31:9, 79:2–12.) Plaintiff also claims that Defendants, instead of taking off the mask and pouring water over his eyes, poured the water directly over his

mask and waterboarded him. (Id. at 31:25–32:3, 63:7–10.) Unsurprisingly, Defendants offer a different version of events. During the second shift on March 12, Marcinko, Finn, and Boley were assigned to Hallway Area No. 1, while Marra was assigned to Hallway Area No. 2. (Boley Ex. F.) The duties of hallway officers included responding to inmate altercations, officer assistance calls, and medical emergencies. (Marcinko Dep., Boley Ex. G at 15:9–23.) That night, Officer Varga began securing the intake unit for lockdown when Plaintiff refused to enter his cell. (Boley Ex. I.) Varga radioed Boley to report the refusal, and the hallway officers, including Finn and Marcinko, responded. (Marcinko Dep. at 211–2; Finn Dep., Boley Ex. H at 25:8–27:3; Boley Ex. I.) As Finn entered the unit, Varga observed Plaintiff shove him. (Boley Ex. I.) Varga then activated his officer assistance button.

(Id.) According to Finn’s report, he entered the unit, identified Plaintiff, and ordered him to place his hands behind his back. (Boley Ex. L.) Plaintiff refused and became agitated. (Id.) When Finn attempted to secure Plaintiff’s right arm, Plaintiff allegedly tried to pull away, raised his left fist, and took a defensive stance. (Id.) Plaintiff then stepped toward Finn, who struck Plaintiff once before bringing him to the ground. (Id.) While on the floor, Plaintiff continued to resist by

4 The level of involvement by each Defendant is not clear from Plaintiff’s deposition testimony. However, it is clear from Defendants’ reports that they would have been present during this alleged incident. Indeed, each of them wrote in a report that they transported Plaintiff to the medical exam room following the incident in the intake unit. (Boley Exs. J, L, M, O.) Plaintiff’s deposition testimony further suggests that each of them was involved to some extent. (Plaintiff Dep. at 31:13–32:16.) tucking his arms beneath his torso. (Id.) Finn deployed a short burst of oleoresin capsicum (“OC”) spray to gain control, handcuffed Plaintiff, and assisted in transporting him to the medical unit for aftercare. (Id.) Marcinko’s report corroborates that Plaintiff took a fighting stance, pulled away from Finn,

and raised his left fist. (Boley Ex. M.) Marcinko helped direct Plaintiff to the ground and secured his left arm. (Id.) Because Plaintiff was spitting, Marcinko placed a transport hood over his head. (Id.) At that point, Plaintiff was transported to the doctor’s examination room where he received treatment. (Id.) Marra’s report notes the same sequence of events. When he arrived, he observed Plaintiff on the ground resisting the officers’ control. (Boley Ex. O.) He then deployed an additional short burst of OC spray to Plaintiff’s face and held his legs while the other officers secured Plaintiff. (Id.) Boley, the area supervisor, says he arrived as the Code November was called. (Boley Ex. J.) He observed Plaintiff on the floor, refusing to comply and tucking his arms under his body. (Id.) Boley repeatedly ordered Plaintiff to stop resisting and observed officers place a transport

hood over Plaintiff due to OC exposure and to prevent the transfer of bodily fluids. (Id.) Boley then saw Plaintiff escorted to the medical unit and the eye wash station. (Id.) On June 18, 2020, Plaintiff filed his original complaint in this matter. (ECF No. 1.) Thereafter, Plaintiff filed several amended complaints, (ECF Nos. 3, 6, 24, 28, 50) to which Defendants filed answers. (ECF Nos. 16, 17, 25, 29, 32, 33, 51-55.)5 Plaintiff brings four claims: (1) excessive force in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment (Count I); (2) excessive force in violation of the Fourth Amendment (Count II); (3) assault and battery (Count III); and (4) against

5 Stemming from the Amended Complaints, Defendants Mark Cranston, Middlesex County Adult Correction Center, and Andrew C. Carey, were terminated from this matter.

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