Igwe v. Skaggs

258 F. Supp. 3d 596
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedJune 28, 2017
DocketCIVIL ACTION NO. 16-1403
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 258 F. Supp. 3d 596 (Igwe v. Skaggs) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Igwe v. Skaggs, 258 F. Supp. 3d 596 (W.D. Pa. 2017).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

KEARNEY, District Judge

Police officers driving through intersections in response to an emergency must be alert to the presence of innocent drivers possibly unaware of the officer’s perceived need to’ speed through a red traffic signal. Police departments may purchase equipment to transmit a signal to the traffic controller device requesting a change in the color of approaching traffic lights. Our society faces difficult liability questions when the officer’s response leads to an intersection collision causing the death of an innocent .driver who just ■ happened to be lawfully crossing the intersection when the officer sped through a red light. After review of extensive appendices in support of summary judgment motions filed by the officer, his public employer, and the equipment seller, we find no genuine issue of material fact on the equipment seller’s liability for design defect or duty to warn or the public employer’s liability for negligence or punitive damages ánd dismiss the equipment seller and common law claims against the public employer. But disputed material facts require a jury’s review of the officer’s.potential liability for punitive damages for negligence and the public employer’s civil rights supervisory liability for the officer’s possible conscience shocking conduct or for failing to train officers on how to operate their vehicles when responding in “Emergency Response mode” as distinguished from pursuit.

I. Undisputed Facts1

Monroeville Pólice Officer Jeremy Skaggs drove his police vehicle at a high rate of speed into a car driven by Priscilla Robinson at an intersection in the Municipality of Monroeville (“Monroeville”) (“the intersection”).2 Ms. Robinson died the next [601]*601day of injuries sustained in the collision.3 Her husband, Anthony Igwe, seeks damages against Officer Skaggs for negligence, his employer Monroeville for supervisory liability under federal civil rights laws, and against Global on products liability and negligence theories as the company selling the transmitter system bought by Monroe-ville.' ■ 1 •

A. December 8, 2014 midday collision between Officer Skaggs and Ms. Robinson.

Around noon on December 8, 2014, Mon-roeville police officer Jeremy Frisk called dispatch to check a license plate on a car he followed while driving on State Route 22.4 After being advised by dispatch the license plate’s registration did not match the car he followed, Officer Frisk suspected a stolen vehicle.5 Around this time, Officer Skaggs heard over the radio Officer Frisk’s plan to stop the vehicle.6 At approximately 12:01:20 p.m., Officer Frisk called out “Unit 991 priority!” and dispatch gave a “991 go ahead” to Officer Frisk.7 Officer Skaggs testified a “priority” call means an emergency situation of high importance.8

After hearing Officer Frisk call “priority,” Officer Skaggs activated his emergency lights and sirens and “elected” to travel to Officer Frisk’s location to provide backup.9 Officer Skaggs considered himself a back-up officer under Monroeville’s “Emergency Response mode” provided in the Monroeville Police Department’s P.oli-cy and Procedures Manual (“Monroeville Policy”).10

It is undisputed Officer Skaggs was not involved in a pursuit at the. time of the collision.11 Instead, Officer Skaggs testified he believed an “Emergency Response!’ under the Monroeville Policy applied because, when he heard Officer Frisk call “priority,” it meant Officer Frisk engaged in a pursuit where there is a risk or potential for injury and a serious crime was in progress.12 Monroeville police officer William Supancic also responded as a back-up to Officer Frisk, activating the lights and sirén on his police car.13

At approximately 12:02:34 p.m., Officer Frisk reported over the radio the suspect he followed appeared to reach around in the vehicle and act awkwardly.14 An audio recording reflects the radio .transmissions.15 However, the time stamps reflected in the audio recordings are not consistent with the time stamps in the video recording from Officer Skaggs’s patrol car, a discrepancy Monroeville attributes to the two systems’ link to different computer servers at the Monroeville Police Department.16 According to the audio tape, [602]*602at 12:02: 46 p.m. Officer Frisk radioed the suspect “bailed out” of the vehicle and fled on foot.17 According to the audio tape, at 12:03:43 p.m. Monroeville dispatch asked Officer Skaggs to proceed to Officer Frisk’s location.18 According to the audio tape, at 12:03:55 p.m. Officer Frisk reported the suspect had something in his hand, possibly a firearm and requested police units.19 Officer Skaggs believed this report indicated the suspect may have been reaching for a weapon or contraband.20

The video recording in Officer Skaggs’s vehicle shows his collision with Ms. Robinson’s car occurred at 12:02:58 p.m.21 Officer Skaggs entered the intersection against a red traffic signal.22 Monroeville admits the traffic light at the intersection did not change to green despite evidence of a preemption request from the Opticom system because Officer Skaggs likely “over ran” the signal, entering the intersection against a red traffic light.23 Officer Skaggs testified he did not rely on the Opticom system as he approached the intersection.24

The video recording from Officer Skaggs’s vehicle shows he applied the brakes at 12:02:56.25 When he applied his brakes, Officer Skaggs estimated he was seven car lengths from the intersection.26 Officer Skaggs operated his vehicle 57 miles per hour approximately 0.5 seconds before colliding into Ms. Robinson.27

B. Monroeville’s Opticom system.

Monroeville purchased an Opticom Emergency Vehicle Preemption System (“Opticom system”) which, among other things, purports to assist police and emergency vehicles approaching traffic signals. Global’s predecessor, 3M Company, manufactured the Opticom system in use at the intersection.28

The Opticom system consists of three parts: an emitter placed in the emergency vehicle; a detector located at the traffic signal; and a phase selector.29 The emitter is located in an emergency vehicle and is activated by the switching on of emergency lights and siren. The emitter sends out an infrared signal, or “pulse,” in front of the vehicle.30 The detector, located on the traffic signal, detects the emitter’s signal once the vehicle comes within a detectable range, and relays the signal to a phase selector located in the traffic controller cabinet at the intersection.31 The phase selector submits a “preemption request” to the traffic controller.32 The traffic control[603]*603ler is neither owned nor operated by Global.33

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Bluebook (online)
258 F. Supp. 3d 596, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/igwe-v-skaggs-pawd-2017.