Mascorro v. The City of San Diego

CourtDistrict Court, S.D. California
DecidedJanuary 22, 2025
Docket3:21-cv-01427
StatusUnknown

This text of Mascorro v. The City of San Diego (Mascorro v. The City of San Diego) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mascorro v. The City of San Diego, (S.D. Cal. 2025).

Opinion

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 ELOY MASCORRO, Case No.: 21-cv-1427-RSH-DDL

12 Plaintiff, ORDER: (1) GRANTING 13 v. DEFENDANTS’ MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT; 14 THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO, et al.,

15 Defendants. (2) GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART PLAINTIFF’S 16 REQUEST FOR JUDICIAL NOTICE; 17 (3) DENYING PLAINTIFF’S 18 MOTION FOR 19 RECONSIDERATION; AND

20 (4) DISMISSING DOE 21 DEFENDANTS

22 [ECF Nos. 218, 219, 221] 23 24 Before the Court is a motion for summary judgment filed by the remaining named 25 defendants in the case, San Diego Police Officers Travis Larson, Eduardo Rodriguez, and 26 Bradford Green (“Defendants” or the “Officer Defendants”). ECF No. 218. As set forth 27 below, the motion is granted. 28 /// 1 I. BACKGROUND 2 A. Procedural History 3 On August 8, 2023, Plaintiff filed his Third Amended Complaint (“TAC”), the 4 operative pleading. ECF No. 117. The TAC was brought against sixteen defendants, 5 including the Officer Defendants, and alleged fifteen claims. Id. On November 22, 2023, 6 the Court granted motions to dismiss as to all claims and all named defendants, except as 7 to Plaintiff’s claim for unlawful arrest (Claim One) against the Officer Defendants. ECF 8 No. 136. The Court gave Plaintiff leave to amend as to certain claims by filing a fourth 9 amended complaint, id. at 40, but Plaintiff declined to do so. 10 In brief, Plaintiff’s claim against the Officer Defendants alleges that on September 11 20, 2020, the Officer Defendants unlawfully arrested him after he refused to leave a bench 12 outside the door of the House of Norway in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. TAC at 13 ¶¶ 11–23. 14 Following the close of discovery, on November 19, 2024, the Officer Defendants 15 filed a motion for summary judgment, accompanied by supporting evidence. ECF No. 218. 16 On December 1, 2024, Plaintiff filed an “affidavit in opposition” to the summary judgment 17 motion. ECF No. 220. 18 Plaintiff has two other filings pending. On November 29, 2024, Plaintiff filed a 19 request for judicial notice, in which he also requests relief under Rule 60. ECF No. 219. 20 On December 1, 2024, Plaintiff filed a motion for reconsideration of the Court’s order of 21 January 4, 2023. ECF No. 221. 22 B. Facts 23 The following facts are taken from declarations, deposition testimony, discovery 24 responses, body worn camera footage and transcripts submitted by Defendants in 25 connection with their summary judgment motion. Plaintiff has not offered any evidence in 26 opposition. 27 On Sunday morning, September 20, 2020, at approximately 9:58 a.m., defendant 28 Larson was on duty, in full uniform and assigned to a marked patrol unit. Declaration of 1 Travis Larson (“Larson Decl.,” ECF No. 218-2) ¶ 3. At that time, he responded to a call 2 for service in Balboa Park regarding a male refusing to leave private property at the House 3 of Norway, located at 2100 Pan American Road in San Diego. Id. Both he and defendant 4 Rodriguez responded to the scene. Id.; Declaration of Eduardo Rodriguez (“Rodriguez 5 Decl.,” ECF No. 218-13) ¶ 4. 6 Upon arrival, Larson spoke to Maury Lee. Larson Decl. ¶ 4; Declaration of Maury 7 Lee (“Lee Decl.,” ECF No. 218-3) ¶ 6. Lee informed the officers that he served on the 8 executive board for the House of Pacific Relations and was in charge of maintenance for 9 the House of Norway. Larson Decl. ¶ 4; Lee Decl. ¶ 6; Rodriguez Decl. ¶ 5. Lee advised 10 that he was trying to clean the patio area of the House of Norway that morning, but that 11 Plaintiff was in the back porch area and was refusing to leave. Larson Decl. ¶ 4; Lee Decl. 12 ¶ 7; Rodriguez Decl. ¶ 5. Lee told officers he had had multiple run-ins with Plaintiff 13 sleeping in the porch area in the past and told the officers he wanted Plaintiff removed. Lee 14 Decl. ¶¶ 6–7. 15 The rear entrance to the House of Norway has a small patio or alcove, enclosed on 16 two sides by walls with built-in benches, just outside the door of the building. Larson Decl. 17 ¶ 16; ECF Nos. 218-7 (footage from Body Worn Camera); 218-10 at 3; 218-11 at 3. At all 18 times during his interactions with Lee and prior to his arrest, Plaintiff was seated in the 19 alcove on one of the benches attached to the building, just outside the building’s rear 20 entrance. ECF Nos. 218-2 ¶ 16; 218-7. The Body Worn Camera footage also reflects that 21 Plaintiff had a bicycle and other possessions occupying space in the small alcove. ECF No. 22 218-7. Lee told the officers that he had called the park rangers to assist him in removing 23 Plaintiff from the patio area. Larson Decl. ¶ 4; Rodriguez Decl. ¶ 5. 24 Larson then spoke with park ranger Zadok Othniel, who stated he had responded to 25 a call from Lee earlier that morning and attempted to speak to Plaintiff and have him leave 26 the area. Larson Decl. ¶ 5; Declaration of Zadok Othniel (“Othniel Decl.,” ECF No. 218- 27 4) ¶¶ 4–7. Othniel had told Plaintiff that Lee simply wanted to sweep the patio area, and 28 that Plaintiff could return in approximately 20-30 minutes once the area was swept and 1 cleaned. Othniel Decl. ¶ 5. Plaintiff had refused to provide his name or comply with 2 Othniel’s directions, and as a result, Othniel had called the San Diego Police Department 3 for help. Larson Decl. ¶ 5; Othniel Decl. ¶ 6; Rodriguez Decl. ¶ 6. 4 Larson then spoke to Plaintiff. Larson Decl. ¶ 5. Larson told Plaintiff that the bench 5 where he was sitting “was not public property.” ECF No. 218-9 (Tr. of footage from Body 6 Worn Camera) at p. 2:17–20. Plaintiff responded, “Yeah, it is. This is publicly accessible.” 7 Id. at p. 2:19–21. Plaintiff appeared to be recording the interactions with officers on his 8 cell phone. ECF No. 218-7. Plaintiff asked the officers for their badge numbers, and two 9 officers gave Plaintiff their badge numbers. ECF No. 218-9 at 3:6–15. Larson then asked 10 if they could have Plaintiff’s name, and Plaintiff responded, “Nah. I’m not doing anything 11 illegal.” Id. at p. 3:16–19. Larson repeatedly asked Plaintiff to leave the bench, but Plaintiff 12 continued to argue that he was on public property and refused to leave. Id. at pp. 3:21– 13 4:25. 14 Larson then told Plaintiff, “Okay. Well then I’m going to put you in handcuffs … 15 then we’ll walk you out of here.” Id. at pp. 4:24–5:3. Plaintiff then stood up and placed his 16 hands behind his back. Larson Decl. ¶¶ 7, 16; ECF No. 218-7. Rodriguez assisted Larson 17 with placing handcuffs on Plaintiff. Larson Decl. ¶¶ 7, 16; ECF No. 218-7; Rodriguez Decl. 18 ¶ 8. Plaintiff was arrested for trespassing and for refusing to provide his identification when 19 requested by police. Larson Decl. ¶ 11; Rodriguez Decl. ¶ 9. 20 With seconds of being handcuffed, Plaintiff stated, “[c]all EMS. I’m having a panic 21 attack. I’m gonna need EMS.” ECF No. 218-9 at p. 5:4–5. Larson called for medical 22 assistance, id. at p. 6:4–7, and Rodriguez walked Plaintiff over to the police vehicle, 23 Rodriguez Decl. ¶ 10. Plaintiff stated, “[a]nd go call your sergeant, too.” ECF No. 219-9 24 at p. 6:21. Larson asked Plaintiff why he was requesting a sergeant, and Plaintiff stated, 25 “‘cause you’re a scumbag, and I want to report you.” Id. at p. 6:24–25. Plaintiff added, 26 “Hurry up. You go do it.” Id. at p. 7:5. 27 Sergeant Green, and a fire engine with paramedics, arrived within minutes. ECF No. 28 Larson Decl. ¶¶ 8–10; ECF No. 218-7; Rodriguez Decl. ¶¶ 10–11. Plaintiff repeatedly 1 refused to sign a citation, and was told that he would therefore be taken to jail. ECF No. 2 218-9 at pp. 9:2-10:15 (Officer: “Maybe you should sign your ticket.” Plaintiff: “Maybe 3 you should kiss my ass.”). Fire medics evaluated Plaintiff, and opined he was in good health 4 and did not need to be medically transported to a hospital. Larson Decl. ¶ 9; ECF No. 218- 5 9 at pp. 11:23–14:4. 6 II.

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Mascorro v. The City of San Diego, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mascorro-v-the-city-of-san-diego-casd-2025.