Natal v. City of New Bedford

13 Mass. L. Rptr. 453
CourtMassachusetts Superior Court
DecidedAugust 6, 2001
DocketNo. 9900396
StatusPublished

This text of 13 Mass. L. Rptr. 453 (Natal v. City of New Bedford) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Superior Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Natal v. City of New Bedford, 13 Mass. L. Rptr. 453 (Mass. Ct. App. 2001).

Opinion

Garsh, J.

The plaintiff Maria Natal (“Natal”) brought this action as the administratrix of the estate of her father, Carlos Adorno (“Adorno”), who was shot to death on February 11, 1996 by New Bedford Police Officer Henry Turgeon, III (“Turgeon”) during an investigation into illegal sale of alcohol to minors. Natal’s complaint, which was commenced in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, asserts claims for a violation of 42 U.S.C. §1983, wrongful death pursuant to G.L.c. 223, §2, and negligence under the Tort Claims Act, G.L.c. 258. On February 24, 1999, the District Court (Young, J.) entered summary judgment in favor of the defendants on Natal’s federal civil rights claims and remanded the state law claims to this court. Thereafter, the parties stipulated to the dismissal with prejudice of the claims still pending against the individual defendants.

This matter is before the court on the motion for summary judgment filed by the City of New Bedford ("the City”) pursuant to Mass.R.Civ.P. 56. For the reasons discussed below, the City’s motion for summary judgment on Counts III and IV of the Second Amended Complaint is allowed.

BACKGROUND

The undisputed facts contained in the summary judgment record are as follows.

Henry Turgeon is a New Bedford Police Officer. On February 11, 1996, at approximately 10:00 p.m., Turgeon, while on routine patrol in the North End section of the City, was engaged in conversation with New Bedford Police Officer Gus Santos (“Santos”), when they observed two young men walking down the street carrying a case of beer. Turgeon approached the youths, inquired where they had obtained beer on a Sunday, and asked them for identification. The youths stated that they had purchased the beer from a man living on Beetle Street known as “the Bootlegger.” They offered to show Turgeon where the Bootlegger lived. Turgeon drove them to Beetle Street, where they pointed out Adorno’s house. One of the youths saw Adorno in the window and pointed him out.

Turgeon returned to where Santos was waiting. While Turgeon was looking at Adorno’s house, Santos had been joined by New Bedford Police Officer Shain Ramos (“Ramos”). The three officers discussed making an undercover buy from Adorno and decided that Ramos would go to the Beetle Street address and attempt to purchase beer. Turgeon advised the New Bedford Police Department dispatcher that he would be out of contact on a disturbance call. Ramos donned a black jacket over his uniform shirt and a baseball cap. He then took five marked one-dollar bills and went to Adorno’s house. Turgeon radioed the New Bedford Police Department dispatcher that he, Ramos and Santos would be off the air.

Ramos entered the Beetle Street building, went to the second floor apartment and rang the buzzer. When Adorno answered the door, Ramos handed him the five marked bills and stated that he wanted five beers. Adorno took the money and walked off into the apartment. At all times, the door was fastened to the door casing with a thick metal chain. Ramos removed his black jacket and baseball cap, exposing his uniform, badge and police insignias. As Adorno returned toward the door holding a brown paper bag, Ramos stated, “Police, open the door!” and repeated this command continuously in a loud voice. Adorno turned away and walked out of sight.

At approximately this time, Turgeon arrived at the scene, and Ramos informed him that Adorno had re-entered the interior of the apartment. Turgeon leaned over to look inside the apartment through the partially opened but chained door and observed Adorno holding a shotgun. Adorno was fidgeting with the gun, moving his hands up and down near the trigger mechanism. Ramos yelled repeatedly to Adorno, “Drop the gun!” and Turgeon began to force the door open by kicking it. Neither Ramos nor Turgeon could see what Adorno was doing with the shotgun. Because the chamber of the shotgun was closed, there was no way visually to determine whether there was a round in the chamber. Turgeon concluded that it would be unsafe for he and Ramos to retreat because a bullet from the shotgun could travel through the door before stopping and because of the small size of the landing on which they were standing and the lack of cover. Accordingly, Turgeon decided to force the door down and apprehend the armed suspect.

As he kicked the door open, Turgeon observed Adorno, drew his service weapon and fired one shot, [454]*454striking Adorno in the right abdomen. Turgeon claims that he saw Adorno leveling the shotgun at the two officers; the report of Chief Medical Examiner states that the trajectory of the bullet is consistent with Adorno’s turning toward his left, away from the officers, at the time he was shot. Less than one minute elapsed between the time Turgeon first observed that Adorno had a gun and the time Turgeon fired the fatal shot. Adorno fell to a sitting position against the couch with the shotgun lying on his lap. Turgeon secured the shotgun and called the paramedics, while Ramos used a towel to apply pressure to Adorno’s wound. Adorno later died of the wound to his abdomen.

The New Bedford Police Department has a Planning and Training Division (“DPS”) which is responsible for in-service training for the Police Department. Every new police officer is on probation for a period of one year during which the officer undergoes a monthly fitness review. Each officer is issued a General Orders manual and a Policies and Procedures manual which are continuously updated. As of February 11, 1996, the use of firearms by New Bedford Police Officers was governed by General Order 94-56, which states in relevant part:

In determining when to use force, officers are to be guided by the principle that the least amount of force reasonably necessary in any situation is the greatest amount of force that is permissible. Any use of force must be justified. Only that amount of force which is reasonable shall be used to overcome resistance directed against the officer or to effect the safety of another . . .
A police officer is authorized to use a firearm in the following circumstances if there is no other reasonable alternative:
a. To defend himself or another person from unlawful attack when he has reasonable cause to believe there is imminent danger of death or great bodily injury.

The New Bedford Police Department subscribes to a service offered by the International Association of Chiefs of Police known as the "Training Keys.” Each Training Key addresses a particular- training topic. Under this program, a monthly training bulletin was disseminated to every officer at roll call, and every officer was expected to read and understand each Training Key.

Prior to February 11, 1996, Turgeon had never fired his weapon at any suspect, and the New Bedford Police Department had never received any .complaints about Turgeon or any incidents of improper discharge of a firearm by Turgeon. Both Turgeon and Ramos attended the Massachusetts Training Council Police Academy for seventeen weeks as a prerequisite to joining the New Bedford Police Department. The Police Academy curriculum included firearms training. Every year, both officers were required to attend in-house training, which includes training in the use of firearms and a requirement that each officer qualify in the use of firearms. This yearly training includes instruction in the use of deadly force.

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Bluebook (online)
13 Mass. L. Rptr. 453, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/natal-v-city-of-new-bedford-masssuperct-2001.