Nunez v. City of San Jose

381 F. Supp. 3d 1192
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. California
DecidedMay 23, 2019
DocketCase No. 17-CV-03860-LHK
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 381 F. Supp. 3d 1192 (Nunez v. City of San Jose) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Nunez v. City of San Jose, 381 F. Supp. 3d 1192 (N.D. Cal. 2019).

Opinion

LUCY H. KOH, United States District Judge

Plaintiffs Tony Nunez and the Estate of Anthony Nunez by and through its personal representative Sandy Sanchez (collectively, "Plaintiffs") bring this suit against Defendants City of San Jose, San Jose Police Department ("SJPD") Officer Michael Santos ("Officer Santos"), individually and in his capacity as an officer, and SJPD Officer Anthony Vizzusi ("Officer Vizzusi"), individually and in his capacity as an officer (collectively, "Defendants") for the shooting of Tony Nunez's son, Anthony Nunez. Before the Court is Defendants' motion for summary judgment. ECF No. 66 ("Mot."). Having considered the parties' briefing, the relevant law, and the record in the case, the Court GRANTS IN PART AND DENIES IN PART Defendants' motion for summary judgment.

I. BACKGROUND

A. Factual Background

This case arises from the fatal shooting of Plaintiff Tony Nunez's son, Anthony Nunez ("Nunez") by SJPD Officers Santos and Vizzusi on July 4, 2016.

In the days leading up to July 4, 2016, 18-year-old Nunez was sad and said he wanted to die. ECF No. 66-1 ("Chow Decl"), Ex. A ("Cervantes Dep.") at 38:8-40:15; ECF No. 69-17 ("Buelna Decl."), Ex. 10 ("Coroner's Report"). On July 4, 2016, sometime before 4:51 p.m., Nunez shot himself in the head at his home, located at 994 Feller Avenue in San Jose, California. See Coroner's Report.

On July 4, 2016, Juan Cervantes, Nunez's cousin, found Nunez lying face down in bed, holding a gun, and bleeding from the self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Cervantes Dep. at 56:16-57:25. Cervantes turned Nunez around and took the gun away from him. Id. at 61:22-25, 62:1-63:10. Nunez asked for the gun back. Id. When Cervantes declined, Nunez asked Cervantes to shoot him. Id. Cervantes then called the police. Id. 63:18-65:8. While Cervantes was on the phone, Cervantes walked down to the corner of Feller and *1197Story. Id. While Cervantes was on the phone, Nunez followed him all the way to the corner, and asked again for the gun. Id. The two then went back into the house. Id.

Cervantes testified that he put the gun in the backyard. Id. at 66:25-67:3. When the police arrived, Cervantes went outside to meet the police and told the police that Nunez was in the house and needed help. Id. at 80:5-82:9. Cervantes testified that the police searched Cervantes and then took him to a vehicle. Cervantes testified: "[w]hen they placed me inside the car, a little while after, I heard two shots. After that, they did like a handshake or a like a [high] five, like celebrating or something, like it was a good shot." Id.

In the subsections that follow, the Court reviews the incident from the perspective of each officer and witness as well as the security camera footage and cell phone videos.

1. Sergeant Thomas Boyle

Sergeant Thomas Boyle ("Sgt. Boyle") responded to 994 Feller Avenue after learning that a relative of a suicidal person called in and reported that his family member had shot himself in the head. Buelna Decl., Ex. 1 ("Boyle Dep.") at 26:22-28:25. Sgt. Boyle heard several units responding and asked dispatch for more details on his way over. Id. at 28:5-29:22.

On the way there, Sgt. Boyle "made the decision to have the reporting party [ (Cervantes) ] take the gun and throw it in the backyard." Id. at 29:23-25, 31:1. When Sgt. Boyle arrived at 994 Feller Avenue, Cervantes had already left the house and was in custody of the officers. Id. at 30:11-25. Lieutenant Paul Joseph ("Lt. Joseph") later testified at his deposition that he heard Sgt. Boyle's instruction for the gun to be placed in the backyard, and that "[i]t's not a direction I would have given myself." Buelna Decl., Ex. 2 ("Joseph Dep.")1 at 30:23-32:25. Sgt. Boyle testified that he would expect his officers to communicate to him over the radio if Nunez pointed the gun at anyone. Boyle Dep. at 50:11-51:8.

2. Officer Rubens Dalaison

Officer Rubens Dalaison ("Officer Dalaison"), an officer with crisis intervention team training, was one of the SJPD officers who responded to the call for service at the Feller Avenue address on July 4, 2016. Chow Decl., Ex. B ("Dalaison Dep.")2 at 22:3-24:24, 27:17-22, 32:15- 25. As Officer Dalaison drove towards the Feller Avenue address, the dispatcher informed him that Nunez was suicidal, had a weapon, and had possibly shot himself, and that other officers were setting up a containment perimeter. Id. at 32:1-33:21, 37:20-24.

When Officer Dalaison arrived at the scene, Officer Dalaison stationed himself across the street from the Feller Avenue house near a tan Chevrolet Suburban. Id. at 44:7-22. Officer Dalaison first saw Nunez appear at the threshold of the front door of the house holding a gun as a contact team of officers was approaching, so Officer Dalaison called out "[s]top, man with a gun," and the team retreated. Id. at 49:23-52:25, 55:20-56:20. The contact team stopped and retreated to the corner of Story and Feller while Officer Dalaison *1198tried to get Nunez's attention. Id. at 50:9-23. Officer Dalaison noticed Nunez's head was bleeding and concluded that he had shot himself. Id. at 57:1-16. Officer Dalaison also noticed that Nunez was sluggish, like he had got his "bell rung" and suffered a concussion to the head. Id.

Nunez stayed in the threshold of the door for approximately seven to ten minutes. Id. at 60:2-23. During that time, Officer Dalaison observed Nunez raise the gun to his head about four times and Officer Dalaison pleaded to Nunez not to shoot himself. Id. at 59:20-62:9. Officer Dalaison asked Nunez to put the gun down and come out to get medical attention. Id. at 64:13-17, 66:23-67:16. Nunez did not come out and instead went back inside the house for a couple of minutes. Id. at 62:11-15, 63:24-64:3.

While Nunez was inside the house, Officer Dalaison moved to where two other officers, Officer Vizzusi and Officer Aneez Raghavan ("Officer Raghavan"), had positioned themselves further away from the residence near a blue pickup truck. Id. at 69:14-71:9.

Nunez next reappeared in the doorway and stepped out onto the porch. Id. at 73:4-19. Officer Dalaison testified at his deposition that Nunez's demeanor at that point seemed to be more "crisp," "sturdy," and "intentional." Id. Officer Dalaison yelled out to Nunez to "[p]ut the gun down," and at the time same, Officer Dalaison testified that Officer Dalaison "turned around to move [him]self back to where Vizzusi was at." Id. at 73:12-75:15. Officer Dalaison testified that the last thing he saw as he turned was that Nunez was moving forward with the gun in his right hand at or above the waistline, with his arm bent. Id. at 75:2-7. As he relocated, Officer Dalaison heard two, almost simultaneous shots. Id. at 73:23-74:7, 77:6-25, 78:11-80:4. Officer Dalaison testified that he did not see Nunez twirling the gun in his finger. Id. at 78:23-24.

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381 F. Supp. 3d 1192, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nunez-v-city-of-san-jose-cand-2019.