Reyes v. United States of America

District Court, S.D. California·Decided February 16, 2021·No. 3:20-cv-01752·Unknown

Opinion

MARCO A. REYES, Case No.: 3:20-cv-01752-WQH-LL

Plaintiff, v. AMERICA; DOE CBP OFFICERS 1-30, INDIVIDUALLY AND IN THEIR OFFICIAL CAPACITIES, inclusive, Defendants. HAYES, Judge: The matter pending before the Court is the Motion to Dismiss filed by Defendant United States of America. (ECF No. 4). I. PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND On September 8, 2020, Plaintiff Marco A. Reyes initiated this action by filing a Complaint against Defendants United States of America (“United States”) and DOE Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) officers. (ECF No. 1). Plaintiff alleges that CBP “[o]fficers at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry severely beat, injured, and arrested Plaintiff . . . .” Id. at 2. Plaintiff brings the following nine causes of action: (1) Bivens action for excessive force against Defendants DOE CBP officers; (2) Bivens action for illegal arrest against Defendants DOE CBP officers; (3) Bivens action for falsification of evidence against Defendants DOE CBP officers; (4) violation of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. § 701 et seq.) against Defendant United States; (5) violation of the Federal Tort Claims Act (“FTCA”) for false imprisonment against all Defendants; (6) violation of the FTCA for assault against all Defendants; (7) violation of the FTCA for battery against all Defendants; (8) violation of the FTCA for negligence against all Defendants; (9) violation of the Bane Act (California Civil Code § 52.1) against all Defendants; and (10) violation of the FTCA for intentional infliction of emotional distress against all Defendants. See id. at 7-14. Plaintiff seeks general, compensatory, and punitive damages; civil penalties; attorneys’ fees and costs; legal interest; and “[a]nd for such other and further relief as the Court may deem proper.” Id. at 15. On November 5, 2020, Defendant United States filed a Motion to Dismiss some of Plaintiff’s claims for lack of subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1) and failure to state a claim pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). (ECF No. 4). Defendant United States moves to dismiss Plaintiff’s ninth claim in its entirety for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and failure to state a claim; Plaintiff’s fourth claim in its entirety for failure to state a claim; and Plaintiff’s fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and tenth claims as to Defendants DOE CBP officers for failure to state a claim. See id. On November 30, 2020, Plaintiff filed a Response in opposition. (ECF No. 6). On December 7, 2020, Defendant United States filed a Reply. (ECF No. 7). “On August 2, 2018, at approximately 4:00 p.m., Plaintiff was in his car in one of the vehicle lanes at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry, waiting to cross into the United States.”1 1 The Supreme Court has held that “the FTCA bars ‘[a]ny claim arising in a foreign country’” and “that the FTCA does not permit claims for torts committed abroad . . . .” Hernandez v. Mesa, 140 S. Ct. 735, (ECF No. 1 at 3). “Due to an incident in a nearby vehicle lane, an unknown CBP officer asked Plaintiff to step out of his car.” Id. “Plaintiff has significant hearing loss from his days of military service and did not hear the command.” Id. at 4. “The unknown CBP officer proceeded to knock on Plaintiff’s driver’s side window and vaguely told him to stand “over there.” Id. “Plaintiff immediately complied, stepping out of his car and standing behind his vehicle.” Id. “The unknown CBP officer began yelling profanities at Plaintiff, accusing him of not following directions.” Id. “Plaintiff replied that there was no reason to treat him disrespectfully and stated that he was following directions.” Id. “The unknown CBP officer continued to use profanities against Plaintiff.” Id. “While using these profanities, the unknown CBP officer approached Plaintiff and bumped into him with his chest.” Id. “As Plaintiff raised his hand to gesture the unknown CBP officer to stop bumping into him, the officer bumped Plaintiff’s hand.” Id. “The unknown CBP officer immediately accused Plaintiff of assaulting him” and “called for backup assistance at that point.” Id. “A group of unknown CBP officers soon arrived at the area where Plaintiff and the officer were located.” Id. “The officers immediately grabbed Plaintiff and pushed him to the ground.” Id. at 5. “While holding Plaintiff to the ground, the officers grabbed Plaintiff’s arms and tried to force him to put his hands behind his back.” Id. “Plaintiff informed the officers about his disability and explained that he could not move his hands behind his back due to the impairment.” Id. “The officers ignored Plaintiff’s pleas and instead began to beat him as he lay defenseless on the ground.” Id. “The officers severely beat Plaintiff until they managed to force his hands behind his back, causing a severe injury to his left arm and shoulder.” Id. “Plaintiff also suffered broken ribs and other serious injuries to his body from the officers’ beating.” Id. “After beating Plaintiff and forcing his hands behind his back, the officers handcuffed him and took him into custody at the Port of Entry.” Id. “After the incident, other federal law-enforcement officials responded to interview Plaintiff, and the involved CBP officials, about this use-of-force incident at the border.” Id. at 6. “[A]fter Plaintiff was taken into custody, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California received a prosecution referral for Plaintiff, seeking to charge him with assault on a federal officer.” “Plaintiff was ultimately released from custody without explanation” and “was not charged with assaulting an officer or any other crime.” Id. “Plaintiff’s injuries, particularly to his left shoulder, have required and continue to require repeated medical attention and surgical intervention” and “Plaintiff has been in constant pain and suffering since the beating, and his treatment remains ongoing at the Veteran’s Administration.” Id. at 7. a. Lack of Subject Matter Jurisdiction Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1) permits dismissal for “lack of subject- matter jurisdiction . . . .” Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1). “Federal courts are courts of limited jurisdiction. They possess only that power authorized by Constitution and statute, which is not to be expanded by judicial decree. It is to be presumed that a cause lies outside this limited jurisdiction and the burden of establishing the contrary rests upon the party asserting jurisdiction.” Kokkonen v. Guardian Life Ins. Co. of Am., 511 U.S. 375, 377 (1994) (citations omitted). “A plaintiff suing in a federal court must show in his pleading, affirmatively and distinctly, the existence of whatever is essential to federal jurisdiction, and, if he does not do so, the court, on having the defect called to its attention or on discovering the same, must dismiss the case, unless the defect be corrected by amendment.” Tosco Corp. v. Communities for a Better Env’t, 236 F.3d 495, 499 (9th Cir. 2001), abrogated on other grounds by Hertz Corp. v. Friend, 559 U.S. 77 (2010). “A jurisdictional challenge under Rule 12(b)(1) may be made either on the face of the pleadings or by presenting extrinsic evidence.” Warren v. Fox Family Worldwide, Inc., 328 F.3d 1136, 1139 (9th Cir. 2003). “In a facial attack, the challenger asserts that the allegations

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