Jefferies v. District of Columbia

917 F. Supp. 2d 10, 2013 WL 66085, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1770
CourtDistrict Court, District of Columbia
DecidedJanuary 7, 2013
DocketCivil Action No. 2011-1159
StatusPublished
Cited by26 cases

This text of 917 F. Supp. 2d 10 (Jefferies v. District of Columbia) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, District of Columbia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jefferies v. District of Columbia, 917 F. Supp. 2d 10, 2013 WL 66085, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1770 (D.D.C. 2013).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

ROYCE C. LAMBERTH, Chief Judge.

Before the Court is defendants District of Columbia and Cathy Lanier’s Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs Complaint, Mar. 27, 2012, ECF No. 22. Upon consideration of the motion, the plaintiffs Opposition, May 7, 2012, ECF No. 24, the defendant’s Reply thereto, May 22, 2012, ECF No. 26, and the record herein, the Court will grant in part and deny in part defendants’ motion.

I. BACKGROUND

This case arises out of the tragic March 30, 2010 death of sixteen-year-old Brishell Jones. Compl. ¶ 19, June 23, 2011, ECF No. 1-1. After Jones attended a funeral service for Jordan Howe, a young homicide victim, she was killed in a retaliatory drive by shooting. Id. ¶ 40. The United States Attorney charged five men in connection with the shooting. Id. ¶¶ 22-23. These men have since been convicted of serious charges. See Keith L. Alexander, Theresa Vargas & Paul Duggan, D.C. jury convicts 5 of murder in attacks, Wash. Post, May 8, 2012, at A14. Jeffrey Best, Robert Bost, and Orlando Carter were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. See Paul Duggan & Heather Hermann, Long sentences for 5 in 2010 killings, Wash. Post, Sept. 12, 2012, at B5. Lamar Williams was sentenced to a term of 30 years for providing the AK-47 style assault rifle used in the killings. Id. Nathaniel Simms cooper *21 ated with prosecutors, pled guilty to murder, and was sentenced to 25 years. See Keith L. Alexander, Nathaniel Simms sentenced to 25 years for 2010 shootings, WASH. POST, Oct. 20, 2012, at B4. Sanquan Carter, whose killing of Jordan Howe precipitated the drive by that took Jones’ life, was sentenced to 54 years for Howe’s murder. Duggan & Hermann, Long Sentences, supra at B5.

Plaintiff Nardyne Jefferies — the mother of decedent Brishell Jones and the personal representative of her estate, Compl. ¶¶ 20-21 — seeks to hold a wide array of government agencies and officials responsible for her daughter’s death. The Complaint 1 claims that Jones’ death was the result of “the [Assistant U.S. Attorneys]’ and D.C. Government officials’, agencies’, and employees’ customs, practices, and culture of action and inaction based on irresponsible judgment and decision-making; negligence; gross negligence; willful disregard; racial discrimination; and deliberate indifference to the safety, welfare, and the life of Brishell Jones, and African American teenagers, in particular, and African American Youths in the District of Columbia and their families, in general.” Id. ¶ 24. This Court has dismissed plaintiffs claims against the D.C. Department of Human Services, D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, D.C. Department of Mental Health, D.C. Metropolitan Police, Justice Grants Administration, D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services, D.C. Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, D.C. Office of the Attorney General, D.C. Housing Authority, Mayor Vincent Gray, U.S. Attorney Ronald Machen, Office of the U.S. Attorney for D.C., Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for D.C., D.C. Pretrial Services Agency, and the United States of America. Orders Granting Mots. Dismiss, Mar. 27, 2012, ECF Nos. 18, 20, 21.

Plaintiffs Complaint describes the events preceding the death of Brishell Jones. On March 21, 2010, Sanquan Carter lost a bracelet at a party. Compl. ¶ 34. Just past midnight on March 22, Sanquan Carter called his brother Orlando, claiming someone stole his bracelet. Orlando Carter arrived at the location of the party, along with Nathaniel Simms and Jeffrey *22 Best. The group opened fire at the party-goers, killing Jordan Howe. Id.

On March 22, 2010, the Metropolitan Police Department for the District of Columbia (“MPDC”) began investigating this shooting. Id. ¶ 35. Plaintiff alleges that eyewitnesses positively identified Sanquan Carter and Orlando Carter. Id. On March 23, police arrested Sanquan Carter for Jordan Howe’s murder. Later that day, police responded to the United Medical Center to find Orlando Carter suffering from gunshot wounds. Id. ¶ 37. Orlando Carter allegedly reported to police that someone loyal to Howe might have shot him. Orlando Carter was medevacked to Washington Hospital Center, where he was admitted in stable condition. Orlando Carter left the hospital “without police interference or objection,” and allegedly called Jeffrey Best and told him to hide the weapons used in Howe’s shooting. Id.

Plaintiff alleges that “on March 23, 2010, officers of the [MPDC] and U.S. Attorney Ronald Machen, Jr., had an opportunity to execute a search warrant of Orlando Carter’s ‘crash pad’ apartment ..., where it was believed the weapons used in the Howe shooting were located.” Id. ¶ 38. The plaintiff faults the MPDC and Machen for not seeking judicial authorization for a nighttime search and not staking out the apartment overnight. Id. Because of these actions, plaintiff alleges, by the time officers executed the warrant they “found nothing usable to obtain an arrest warrant for Orlando Carter.” Id. On March 26, Chief of Police Cathy Lanier had an emergency meeting with Machen. Id. ¶ 39. At this meeting, Chief Lanier asked Machen for an arrest warrant for Orlando Carter; Machen refused, citing a lack of evidence. Id.

On March 30, 2010, Brishell Jones attended funeral services for Jordan Howe. Id. ¶ 40. After the funeral, Jones and a group of at least fifteen youths congregated outside a building at 4022 South Capitol Street SE, Washington, D.C. That day, Orlando Carter rented a minivan, and— accompanied by Jeffrey Best, Robert Bost, and Nathaniel Simms — went looking for the people he felt responsible for his March 23rd shooting and Sanquan Carter’s missing bracelet. 2 Seeking another gun to carry out the planned drive by, Jeffrey Best and Robert Bost killed Tavon Nelson in an attempt to steal Nelson’s handgun. Orlando Carter then drove the minivan to 4022 South Capitol Street; Best, Bost and Simms opened fire on the crowd. The men fired weapons — including an AK-47 style assault rifle — used in the murder of Howe. 3 Id.

Nine people were wounded; DeVaughn Boyd, William Jones, III, and Brishell Jones died. Id. ¶¶ 41, 43, 45. Jones, sixteen-years-old, died of a gunshot wound to the head. Id. ¶ 44. Three ambulances were dispatched to the scene; plaintiff claims that the “ambulance closest to the scene ... was the last to arrive,” because “[ijnstead of dispatching to the scene when it first received the emergency call, the ambulance operators chose to run personal errands.” Id. ¶ 42. MPDC officers arrested Orlando Carter and Nathaniel Simms after a vehicular pursuit; police later arrested Jeffery Best, Robert Bost and Lamar Williams. Id. ¶¶ 22-23, 46, 49.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
917 F. Supp. 2d 10, 2013 WL 66085, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1770, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jefferies-v-district-of-columbia-dcd-2013.