McKissic v. Miller

37 F. Supp. 3d 907, 2014 WL 3798718, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 106040
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Ohio
DecidedAugust 1, 2014
DocketCase No. 1:12 CV 1057
StatusPublished

This text of 37 F. Supp. 3d 907 (McKissic v. Miller) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McKissic v. Miller, 37 F. Supp. 3d 907, 2014 WL 3798718, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 106040 (N.D. Ohio 2014).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION ' AND ORDER

DONALD C. NUGENT, District Judge.

This action is before the Court on Defendant Jason Miller’s Motion to Dismiss or Alternatively, Motion for Summary [909]*909Judgment. (ECF # 64). Plaintiff filed a Memorandum in Opposition to the motion, (ECF # 67), and Officer Miller filed a Reply to the response. (ECF # 75). Following briefing, Officer Miller filed a Notice of Supplemental Authority In Support of Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss, (ECF # 76); Plaintiff filed a response to the Defendant’s Notice, (ECF # 77); and, Plaintiff filed a Notice of Supplemental Authority in Support of his Opposition to the Motion to Dismiss or Alternatively Motion for Summary Judgment. (ECF # 78).

Plaintiff, Lawrence McKissic, was shot multiple times by Officer Miller following an undercover drug bust. Mr. McKissic was driving the car in which the undercover drug buy was conducted. He was not the original target of the investigation. The target was removed from the ear and arrested without incident. At the time of the shooting, Officer Miller was employed by the Strongsville Police Department and was acting through the Northern Ohio Law Enforcement Task Force (“NOLE Task Force”), a task force made up of law enforcement officers from several local departments and overseen by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”).

Mr. McKissic brought suit against Officer Miller and the City of Strongsville in this action, alleging violations of United States Constitution. He claims that Officer Miller violated his Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights, by exercising excessive force against him during the course of his arrest. In addition, Mr. McKissic alleges that the City of Strongsville is liable under the Fourteenth Amendment for the violation of his Fourth Amendment rights, because: (1) it failed to properly supervise its officers with respect to the use of force; (2) it engaged in a custom, policy or practice of using excessive force on citizens; (8) it ratified" the use of excessive force by its officers; and/or (4) it failed to supervise of discipline those who used excessive force on citizens. Mr. McKissic also filed a separate suit against the U.S. Government under the Federal Tort Claims.Act, 28 U.S.C. § 2675. See, McKissic v. The United States of America, Case No. 1:13 CV 1522 (filed July 15, 2013). The two cases have been consolidated. Neither the City of Strongsville, nor the United States Government have joined in Officer Miller’s Motion to Dismiss or in the Alternative, Motion for Summary Judgment.

Because Officer Miller attached factual evidence to his Motion, the Court treated the motion as one for summary judgment, pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 11(d), and allowed limited discovery to address the qualified immunity issue before requiring a response from Plaintiff. The briefing on the qualified immunity issue is now complete and the Court will consider the evidence properly presented by both parties in its deliberation.

FACTS1

On December 3, 2011, Mr. McKissic drove a known drug dealer, Lorenzo Do-byne, to the Strongsville WalMart, where Mr. Dobyne sold crack cocaine to a confidential informant. The transaction between Mr. Dobyne and the informant had been set up by the NOLE Task Force. The plan was to allow the sale to occur in [910]*910the WalMart parking lot, wait for the car to leave the parking lot, and then to have marked police cruisers from the City of Strongsville perform a traffic stop to arrest the suspect(s). Officer Miller was to pick up the confidential informant after the sale and collect the evidence.

Lt. Michael Connelly, the NOLE Task Force supervisor was overseeing the bust. After the controlled purchase was complete and the informant had left the vehicle, Lt. Connelly noticed that Mr. Dobyne and Mr. McKissic did not appear to be paying attention to their surroundings. He made the decision at that point to change the plan and execute the arrest in the parking lot. When Lt. Connelly gave the “take down” signal, Officer Miller and Lt. Connelly were the two closest police vehicles, therefore, it was their role to box in the suspect’s vehicle.

Lt. Connelly pulled his vehicle behind Mr. McKissic’s car effectively blocking any rear exit. Lt. Connelly exited his vehicle and removed Mr. Dobyne from the passenger side of Mr. McKissic’s car. He took Mr. Dobyne to the ground and eventually handcuffed him. Officer Miller attempted to block in Mr. McKissic’s car from the front, but overshot his position leaving an opening through which Mr. McKissic could escape. Officer Miller exited his vehicle, approached the front of Mr. McKissie’s car, drew his firearm, identified himself as a police officer,2 and ordered Mr. McKissic to put the vehicle in park. Mr. McKissic did not put the vehicle in park. Officer Miller eventually shot Mr. McKissic several times. The parties disagree as to what exactly occurred between the time Officer Miller exited his car and when he fired at Mr. McKissic.

According to Mr. McKissic, his car was moving “a little bit” forward to make a right turn after Officer Miller’s truck had stopped in front of, but angled to the left side of his car. (McKissic Depo. at 111, 175, ECF # 69, 111, 175). He claims that as he began to move forward, the Officer was not yet in front of the car. (McKissic Depo. at 120, ECF #69, p. 120). Mr. McKissic says he applied the brake and stopped the car when he then observed a person he believed to be a police officer standing in front of the car, pointing a weapon at him. (McKissic Depo. at 101— 103, 112, 138, 176, 214-215, ECF # 69, p. 101-103, 112, 138, 176, 214-215). He testified that the officer told him to “freeze” or “put your hands up.” (McKissic Depo. at 101, 103, 106, 138, ECF # 69, p. 101, 103, 106; ECF # 62^4, p. 31). Mr. McKissic admitted telling the investigators that Officer Miller told him to put the car in park more than once. (McKissic Depo. at 107, 139, 178, ECF # 69, p. 107, 139, 178; Miller Depo. at 92, # 64-3 p. 20). The gear shift was on the floor. (McKissic Depo. At 92, ECF # 69, p. 92). Mr. McKissic never put the car in park because he claims he did not have a chance to do so. (McKissic Depo. at 106-108, 180, ECF # 69, pp. 106-108, 180). He testified that he tried to but did not get it in park before moving his hand upward in a surrender position. (McKissic Depo. at 203, ECF # 69, p. 203). However, Mr. McKissic claims that his foot remained on the brake, and the car never moved again, nor did it ever move towards the officer until after he had been shot. (McKissic Depo. at 110-112, 120-122, 189, 214-215, ECF # 69, pp. 110-112, 120-122, 189, 214-215). He never put his foot on the accelerator. (McKissic Depo. at 112, 121-122, ECF #69, p. 112, 121-122).

Mr. McKissic recalls that when Officer Miller appeared in front of his car, his left [911]*911hand was on the steering wheel, and his right hand may have been in his lap or near the arm rest/storage console. (McKissic Depo. at 104-105, 109, 178, ECF # 69, p. 104-105, 109,178; Miller Depo. at 92, ECF # 68, p. 92). When the shots were fired, his left hand was on the steering wheel, and his right hand was raising up from the console area. (McKissic Depo. at 109, ECF #64-2, p. 28). Mr.

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Bluebook (online)
37 F. Supp. 3d 907, 2014 WL 3798718, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 106040, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mckissic-v-miller-ohnd-2014.