McCoy v. Fowler

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedAugust 15, 2024
Docket2:22-cv-12237
StatusUnknown

This text of McCoy v. Fowler (McCoy v. Fowler) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McCoy v. Fowler, (E.D. Mich. 2024).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN SOUTHERN DIVISION

DEONTE McCOY,

Plaintiff, Case No. 2:22-cv-12237 District Judge Susan K. DeClercq v. Magistrate Judge Kimberly G. Altman

NICHOLAS FOWLER, and JARRAY ADAMS,

Defendants.

_________________________________/

REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION TO GRANT DEFENDANTS’ MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT (ECF No. 39)1

I. Introduction This is a prisoner civil rights case. Plaintiff Deonte McCoy (McCoy), proceeding pro se, is incarcerated at the St. Louis Correctional Facility in St. Louis, Michigan. McCoy is suing defendants Corrections Officer Nicholas Fowler (Fowler) and Sergeant Jarray Adams (Adams) claiming Fowler assaulted him in retaliation for exercising his First Amendment rights and that Adams mishandled an investigation into the matter. (ECF No. 20, Amended Complaint). Under 28

1 Upon review of the parties’ papers, the undersigned deems these matters appropriate for decision without oral argument. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 78(b); E.D. Mich. LR 7.1(f)(1). U.S.C. § 636(b)(1), all pretrial matters have been referred to the undersigned. (ECF No. 48).

Before the Court is defendants’ motion for summary judgment. (ECF No. 39). McCoy has filed a response, (ECF No. 47), and the motion is now ready for consideration. For the reasons that follow, it is RECOMMENED that defendants’

motion for summary judgment be GRANTED. If adopted, this would fully dispose of the case. II. Statement of Facts The material facts as gleaned from the parties’ papers, including defendants’

declarations and McCoy’s deposition testimony, follow. At the time of the incident, McCoy was confined at the St. Louis Correctional Facility (SLF) where he was in Unit 2 with a Level IV security level.

(ECF No. 39-2, PageID.217, Fowler Declaration; ECF No. 39-4, PageID.249, McCoy Deposition). The Unit 2 cells are secured with mechanical, sliding steel doors that lock upon closing. (ECF No. 39-2, PageID.217). The Level IV inmates are housed with two people to a cell and are only allowed out of their cells at

scheduled times during the day. (ECF No. 39-4, PageID.249-50). Each cell door has its own button in the control center, commonly referred to as “the bubble”, that an officer will press to open the cell door, allowing inmates to exit their cell. (ECF

No. 39-2, PageID.217). The inmates are notified via an announcement over the PA system when the officers are about to open the doors for recreation time. (ECF No. 39-4, PageID.251).

The incident occurred on June 21, 2021, around 7:30pm. (ECF No. 39-4, PageID.24). Fowler was working in the control center of Unit 2. (ECF No. 39-2, PageID.217.) McCoy and his cell mate were aware that they were about to go to

recreation time due to Fowler making an announcement over the PA system. (ECF No. 39-4, PageID.252-53). According to McCoy, the door broke open, but only a couple of inches, so he could only get his fingertips through. (Id. at PageID.256). McCoy said that he then pulled the door open enough for him to be able to walk

through the doorway with his body slightly turned sideways. (Id. at PageID.257- 260). According to McCoy, as soon as he got halfway through the doorway, the door was “slammed” on him. (Id. at PageID.260). As the door was closing with

McCoy still in the doorway, the door hit his face and chest and caused him to hit the back of his head on the door jamb where the door latches into the wall. (Id., PageID.270). McCoy said that he began to push on the door to force it back, and that he was stuck in the doorway for 15-20 seconds before he managed to squeeze

through. (Id. at PageID.268-269). According to McCoy’s deposition testimony, it took around 10 seconds for the door to break open, for him to push the door open enough for him to walk

through, and for the door to then close on him. (Id. at PageID.262). However, Fowler says in his declaration that he individually pushed all 24 buttons to open the cells for recreation time, and then pushed each individual button to close them.

(ECF No. 39-2, PageID.217). According to Fowler, he opened and closed the doors in the same sequential order, so the first door he opened was also the first door he closed, leading to each cell door being open for about 25-30 seconds. (Id.

at PageID.218). McCoy alleges that Fowler violated his Eighth Amendment rights by using excessive force when intentionally closing the cell door on him. (ECF No. 20, PageID.76). According to McCoy, there was no one else in the hallway during the

time the door was closing on him, so he thinks that Fowler had a clear view of him from the bubble. (ECF No. 39-2, PageID.276). But Fowler says that because McCoy’s cell was halfway down the hallway, he couldn’t actually see McCoy

when he left his cell, as there were other people leaving their cells and blocking his view. (ECF No. 39-2, PageID.218). After leaving his cell, McCoy went to the bubble to inform Fowler that he was hurt and according to McCoy’s deposition, Fowler responded saying “[o]h, I

guess you want to be a little ass baby and shit, want to cry about the rules.” (ECF No. 39-4, PageID.276). McCoy said he then went to the phone to tell his family about the incident, but before he could speak with anyone, Fowler called him back

over. (Id. at PageID.279). McCoy said that Fowler continued to call him stupid along with “all type[s] of weird stuff.” (Id). According to Fowler, McCoy came up to the bubble after being closed in the door and “angrily accused [Fowler] of

shutting his cell door on him.” (ECF No. 39-2, PageID.218). Additionally, Fowler stated that McCoy said “[y]eah, I need medical attention, your bitch ass closed my head in the door. I’m calling my lawyer on your bitch ass,” and Fowler issued a

misconduct ticket to McCoy for insolence. Id. Fowler then wrote McCoy a pass to go to medical. (ECF No. 39-4, PageID.280; ECF No. 39-2, PageID.219). According to his deposition testimony, McCoy’s sole alleged injury is headaches. (ECF No. 39-4, PageID.304). Following the incident, McCoy went to

medical with complaints of head pain, and repeatedly stating that he had previous facial injuries. (ECF. NO. 39-5, PageID.417, MDOC Medical Records). During this visit, McCoy was noted to be alert and oriented, and had no sign of pain with

palpation of his face and posterior head. (ECF. NO. 39-5, PageID.420). A nurse from healthcare later called Fowler and told him that McCoy did not suffer any serious injuries and would not require any special accommodations when he returned to the unit. (ECF No. 39-2, PageID.219).

On June 22, 2021, McCoy filed a grievance against Fowler, which Adams investigated and responded to. (ECF No. 39-3, PageID.233). Adams stated that he reviewed the video of the incident and saw McCoy getting stuck in the cell door,

but did not find any evidence that Fowler purposefully shut the door on McCoy, thus finding the grievance unsubstantiated. (Id., PageID.234). McCoy claims that Adams violated his Eighth Amendment rights by failing to respond to the conduct

discussed in the grievance regarding Fowler closing the door on him. (ECF. No 20, PageID.76). As to Fowler, McCoy claims that he violated McCoy’s Eighth Amendment

rights when closing the door on him on June 21, 2021. (Id., PageID.76). He also claims that Fowler violated his First Amendment rights by closing the door on him in retaliation for having helped others with their grievances and legal work. (Id.). McCoy submitted a declaration of Javon Oliver (Oliver), a prisoner at SLF since

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