Poole v. City of Rolling Meadows

627 N.E.2d 1112, 253 Ill. App. 3d 154, 194 Ill. Dec. 470
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedSeptember 10, 1993
Docket1-91-1540
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 627 N.E.2d 1112 (Poole v. City of Rolling Meadows) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Poole v. City of Rolling Meadows, 627 N.E.2d 1112, 253 Ill. App. 3d 154, 194 Ill. Dec. 470 (Ill. Ct. App. 1993).

Opinion

JUSTICE COUSINS

delivered the opinion of the court:

On August 18, 1984, the plaintiff, Steven Poole (Poole), was shot in the abdomen by defendant, Michael Conroy (Conroy), who was on duty as a police officer with the Rolling Meadows police department. Plaintiff brought a two-count complaint against Conroy and the City of Rolling Meadows (the City) which alleged that Conroy and the City acted wilfully and wantonly under State law, and that Conroy was liable under section 1983 of the Federal civil rights statute. (42 U.S.C. §1983 (1982).) With respect to the section 1983 claim, the jury found for defendant Conroy. On the State law claim that Conroy and the City acted wilfully and wantonly, the jury returned a verdict against both defendants and assessed total damages in the amount of $199,164.81. The jury further found that the plaintiff was 75% contributorily negligent and the court entered judgment in his favor in the amount of $49,791.20. Subsequently, Poole filed a post-trial motion challenging the reduction of damages for contributory negligence where the defendants’ conduct was wilful and wanton. The trial court granted the motion, reinstated the full jury award of damages, and entered judgment notwithstanding the verdict against both defendants in the amount of $199,164.81. Defendants’ post-trial motion challenging the modified judgment was denied.

On appeal defendants raise the following issues: (1) whether the trial court erred in reinstating the full award of damages; and (2) whether the cumulative effect of trial errors deprived defendants of a fair trial.

We affirm.

Background

On August 18, 1984, at approximately 7 p.m., Bruce Meyer (Meyer), a resident of 1865 Polk Street in the City of Rolling Meadows, telephoned the Rolling Meadows police department, and reported that he had seen a person whom he did not recognize climb a fence in the back yard of the house located at 1864 Taft, go up on the roof, and enter the bedroom window.

Pursuant to that telephone conversation, officers were dispatched to investigate at 1864 Taft by Rolling Meadows communications officer Wisniewski:

“There’s been a report of a subject trying to get into the second floor window, 1864 Taft, 1864 Taft, described as a male white wearing a white T-shirt, blue jeans, and he did get — get entry into the second floor window.”

Four Rolling Meadows police officers responded to the call: defendant Conroy, Officer Bruce Branca (Branca), who was riding with Sergeant Gerald Broderick (Broderick), and Officer Joseph Waitzman (Waitzman). These officers testified that the following events occurred after they responded to the call.

All squad cars arrived in the area at approximately the same time. After the officers conducted a perimeter check of the premises, Broderick instructed Branca to take a position at the northwest side of the house and Waitzman to occupy the southeast corner of the house. Broderick knocked on the front door, but received no response. He then walked around to the rear of the house and observed an open window leading into the kitchen of the house. He called out, “police officers, anybody there?” several times; again, there was no response.

From his vantage point, Waitzman was able to observe the window which had been identified as the point of entry by the complainant. He could see that the screen to the window appeared to be out of its track. Waitzman also observed two automobiles in the driveway, one of which had a warm hood and was registered to Greg Finn of Des Plaines, Illinois.

When a request was made to the police dispatchers to attempt to make telephone contact with whoever had entered the home, Broderick was standing by the southwest side of the house, near the kitchen window in the rear of the house. He testified that he heard the phone ring several times with no answer. Waitzman and Branca also testified that they heard the telephone ringing inside the home. However, Conroy, who was on the roof near the bedroom window, testified that he did not hear the phone ring.

Conroy had ascended to the garage roof by using his car as a step ladder and receiving assistance from Waitzman. Shortly thereafter, Branca and Waitzman obtained a ladder, with which Broderick and Waitzman also climbed onto the garage roof. Broderick and Conroy decided to enter the home through the bedroom window. Before entering, Conroy leaned into the window and announced the presence of police officers outside, but no one responded. Conroy and Broderick then climbed through the window and into the master bedroom. They began to search the second floor of the home, continually shouting words to the effect, “police officers — anyone inside here?” Finding no one, and receiving no response, the officers proceeded down the stairway to the first floor.

When the officers had reached the first floor of the home, they continued to announce their presence. Waitzman testified that from his position outside the bedroom window on the garage roof, he was able to hear Conroy and Broderick periodically announcing their presence. After checking the living and dining room areas, the two officers entered the kitchen and at that point separated; Broderick entered the attached garage area, and Conroy entered a hallway which led from the kitchen to the family room. Conroy testified that at the time he walked down the hallway, the area was “real dark.”

When he reached the family room, Conroy took a step into the room and began to search for a light switch. At the time, his back was to the hallway and the door which led to the basement. Conroy heard noises which he thought were made by Broderick returning from the garage. He stopped for a second, at which time he heard two thud-like noises, followed by a cracking noise which sounded like someone kicking open a door. Conroy testified that as he spun around while holding his weapon tucked at his waist area, he observed a figure lunging out at him from the doorway of the basement. He could not see the person’s hands. He could see the person’s center torso area, and he observed that the figure’s right arm was elevated. As he spun around, moving backwards, and slightly off balance, Conroy shouted “freeze!” Conroy testified that the figure continued to come at him with its hands obscured in the darkness. Fearing that this person lunging at him had some type of weapon, Conroy fired a shot. The person stopped, and stepped back into the basement door. Conroy stepped forward, saw that the person no longer constituted a threat, and recognized the person as Steven Poole. Conroy immediately radioed for an ambulance.

Broderick, whose view was obscured by the open basement door, testified that 1 to V-k seconds elapsed between the time he heard Conroy shout “freeze, police” and the time a shot rang out. When he reached the end of the hallway where Conroy and plaintiff were located, Broderick observed that the hallway was dark.

Upon entering the Poole home after hearing the gunshot, neither Branca nor Waitzman was able to activate any of the lights in the Poole home.

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Bluebook (online)
627 N.E.2d 1112, 253 Ill. App. 3d 154, 194 Ill. Dec. 470, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/poole-v-city-of-rolling-meadows-illappct-1993.