Pearl River Valley Water Dist. v. Bridges

878 So. 2d 1013, 2004 WL 557336
CourtCourt of Appeals of Mississippi
DecidedMarch 23, 2004
Docket2002-CA-01425-COA
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 878 So. 2d 1013 (Pearl River Valley Water Dist. v. Bridges) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pearl River Valley Water Dist. v. Bridges, 878 So. 2d 1013, 2004 WL 557336 (Mich. Ct. App. 2004).

Opinion

878 So.2d 1013 (2004)

PEARL RIVER VALLEY WATER SUPPLY DISTRICT and Harold Gray, Appellants,
v.
Bobby BRIDGES, Appellee.

No. 2002-CA-01425-COA.

Court of Appeals of Mississippi.

March 23, 2004.
Rehearing Denied June 8, 2004.
Certiorari Denied July 29, 2004.

*1014 Susan Lum Runnels, Jackson, attorney for appellants.

John Hinton Downey, Jackson, attorney for appellee.

Before SOUTHWICK, P.J., THOMAS and GRIFFIS, JJ.

SOUTHWICK, P.J., for the Court.

¶ 1. Harold Gray and the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District were found jointly and severally liable for injuries sustained by Bobby Bridges during an arrest. Gray and the District appeal arguing they are immune from liability. We agree. Consequently, we reverse and render.

¶ 2. Officer Harold Gray was employed by the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District where he was a manager of the Leake County Water Park. He resided at the park and supervised its day-to-day operations and its employees and facilities. Gray patrolled the park and performed all law enforcement duties. Of importance, it is illegal to possess alcohol in Leake County.

¶ 3. This case arises from an arrest that took place on August 30, 1997, at the park's boat ramp. Officer Gray was riding through the park when he noticed Bobby Bridges's truck driving down the hill into the park pulling a boat. Two people were in the truck while Bridges and another man were riding in the boat as it was being towed. The officer did not approach the group at that time.

¶ 4. Later, Officer Gray again drove by the ramp and saw that Bridges's boat was off its trailer, full of water and resting on the concrete boat ramp. The trailer was still attached to the truck. Not wishing to approach the group alone, Officer Gray made an unsuccessful effort to locate another of the District's managers. He then asked another man to join him, but he refused. Chris Howard, a former Carthage police officer who was camping in the park, agreed to accompany Gray to the boat ramp. They went to the launch and approached the truck and boat. Officer Gray asked if the men had consumed any alcohol. One of the men told him that all of them had two or three drinks early in the day. He stated no one had any alcohol that night. Bridges told Officer Gray that he had not consumed any alcohol. Officer Gray noticed a cooler and beer cans in the bed of the truck. The cooler contained nine beers. Bridges stated that the beer, the cooler and the truck were his.

¶ 5. Officer Gray informed Bridges that he was under arrest. He smelled alcohol on Bridges's breath. By this time, another officer had arrived at the ramp. Officer Gray took the cooler from Bridges's truck and brought it to his vehicle. Officer Gray then instructed Bridges to place his hands *1015 on the truck, but he refused. Gray informed Bridges that he needed to handcuff him. Bridges had his left hand in his pocket. As Officer Gray reached for his hand, Bridges took his hand out of his pocket and stepped back. Officer Gray grabbed Bridges's arm and locked it behind Bridges. Bridges resisted, but Officer Gray was able to pin Bridges against the truck. However, the two continued to struggle. Bridges pushed away from the truck with his right hand. Officer Gray again pinned him against the truck. Bridges continued to struggle and Officer Gray applied a wrist lock. Bridges complained that this additional pressure on his wrist hurt him. Officer Gray told Bridges that if he stopped resisting, he would not have to apply the wrist lock.

¶ 6. Officer Gray was able to place Bridges in handcuffs. He took Bridges to the other officer's truck. At the request of one of Bridges's relatives, Gray then replaced the handcuffs on Bridges such that his hands were in front rather than behind his back. Bridges would receive a misdemeanor conviction for public drunkenness and resisting arrest. His conviction was not appealed.

¶ 7. On the night of his arrest, Bridges went to the emergency room of the Leake County Hospital after he left the jail. He was diagnosed with a sprained left wrist. Then, on September 2, 1997, he went to Mississippi Baptist Medical Center emergency room where he was again diagnosed with a sprained left arm. A week later Bridges was diagnosed as having an avulsion fracture on the left ulna. On October 10, 1997, Bridges was diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff.

¶ 8. Bridges contended that this arrest and the force used during it was a result of animosity that Officer Gray held towards him. The two had encountered each other on prior occasions. On June 20, 1997, Officer Gray noticed an unregistered person utilizing the park's shower. The person was Bridges's teenage grandson. Officer Gray allowed the boy to finish his shower but told him that the facilities were to be used only by those registered in the park. Later that night, Bridges went to Officer Gray's residence to confront him about the incident with his grandson. After some words between the two, Officer Gray instructed Bridges to leave. Bridges did. The next day, Officer Gray filed a police report and spoke with Reservoir Patrol Chief James Stepp. Officer Gray later filed criminal affidavits against Bridges alleging that Bridges had pulled back his fist as if to strike the officer, and that he had been intoxicated. Bridges was convicted of simple assault. He did not appeal this conviction. A few days after this incident, Kenneth Griffin, the District's general manager, received an anonymous letter indicating concern about these events.

¶ 9. Bridges sued the District and Officer Gray for injuries that allegedly resulted from excessive force used in his arrest during the boating event. Bridges claimed that the District knew or should have known of Officer Gray's malicious attitude toward Bridges and failed to take corrective action. The trial court granted judgment for Officer Gray and the District in 1999. The Supreme Court reversed and remanded for reasons that we will explain. Bridges v. Pearl River Valley Water Supply Dist., 793 So.2d 584 (Miss.2001).

¶ 10. On remand, the trial court found the District and Officer Gray jointly and severally liable for an award to Bridges of $64,309.92. From this, the District and Officer Gray appeal.

DISCUSSION

1. Mississippi Tort Claims Act

¶ 11. Bridges claim against Gray and the District was necessarily analyzed under *1016 the requirements of the Mississippi Tort Claims Act. The statute acknowledges liability for torts committed by governmental actors, but also provides for immunity in certain situations. Relevant to the present case are separate immunities for law enforcement activities and for discretionary functions:

(1) A governmental entity and its employees acting within the course and scope of their employment or duties shall not be liable for any claim:
...
(c) Arising out of any act or omission of an employee of a governmental entity engaged in the performance or execution of duties or activities relating to police or fire protection unless the employee acted in reckless disregard of the safety and well-being of any person not engaged in criminal activity at the time of injury;
(d) Based upon the exercise or performance or the failure to exercise or perform a discretionary function or duty on the part of a governmental entity or employee thereof, whether or not the discretion be abused....

Miss.Code Ann. § 11-46-9

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
878 So. 2d 1013, 2004 WL 557336, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pearl-river-valley-water-dist-v-bridges-missctapp-2004.