Rowlery v. Genesee County

54 F. Supp. 3d 763, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 147717, 2014 WL 5307453
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedOctober 16, 2014
DocketCase No. 12-CV-15292
StatusPublished

This text of 54 F. Supp. 3d 763 (Rowlery v. Genesee County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rowlery v. Genesee County, 54 F. Supp. 3d 763, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 147717, 2014 WL 5307453 (E.D. Mich. 2014).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART DEFENDANTS’ MOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT [58]

JUDITH E. LEVY, District Judge.

This case alleges police misconduct. It arises out of a claim by plaintiff Joseph Rowlery, Jr. (“Rowlery”) against defendants Genesee County, Robert Winston, David Schmieder, Elijah Martin, S. Pritch-ard, Mangrum, Brandon Szemites, Nuc-kolls, and Dobbs.1 Defendant Schmieder was a lieutenant and defendant Nuckolls was a sergeant in the Genesee County Sheriffs Department at all times relevant to this complaint. The other individual [766]*766defendants were Genesee County deputy sheriffs who were assigned to work in the jail.

Plaintiff brings claims against all defendants for (1) excessive use of force; (2) cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment; (3) assault and battery; and (4) gross negligence. He also brings a claim against Genesee County for failure to train and supervise its officers, in violation of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments.

On March 24, 2014, all defendants filed a Motion for Partial Summary Judgment with respect to the following claims: (1) excessive use of force under the Eighth Amendment; (2) all claims against Gene-see County; (3) all official capacity claims; (4) assault and battery against all defendants except Winston and Szemites; and (5) gross negligence. Plaintiff responded to the motion, a reply was filed, and oral argument was held on July 15, 2014. Upon questioning during oral argument the Court learned there was a video of one of the instances of alleged illegal conduct, and the parties were granted an opportunity to submit the video along with a brief explanation of what they believe it shows.2

1. FACTS

Plaintiff alleges he was assaulted by officers in the Genesee County Sheriffs Department (“the County” or “the Department”) on two separate occasions when he was lodged at the Genesee County Jail. The first instance took place in December of 2010, and the second took place in September 2011.

The December 2010 Incident

On December 3, 2010, plaintiff was being held in the Genesee County Jail on a warrant for failure to pay child support. (Dkt. 58 at 8). Plaintiff alleges that while he was in the process of being released, a female detainee in a nearby jail cell asked him if he was being released. Video evidence shows plaintiff standing by a jail cell for about two minutes before defendant Winston and another officer, coming from the opposite end of the hall, approached him. (Dkt. 63-5 at 6). Defendant Winston allegedly asked plaintiff what he was doing, and plaintiff replied that he was being released. According to plaintiff, defendant Winston responded: “No you’re not. Give me your coat, you’re going back in your cell.” (Dkt. 63-3 at 19).

The video shows plaintiff talking with the two officers while a third officer walks down the hall towards plaintiff. The video does not contain audio. Plaintiff removes his coat and places it on the floor. At this point, there are five officers standing in the hallway. Plaintiff claims that defendant Winston ordered him to lie down on the floor and put his hands behind his back. Plaintiff maintains that he was fully compliant with this order. (Dkt. 63-3 at 19-20). Defendant Winston claims that plaintiff was not compliant with any of his instructions, but acknowledges that plaintiff removed his shoes and jacket voluntarily. (Dkt. 63-5 at 7).

The video shows plaintiff turn to face the wall and the officer nearest to him (Winston) lunges at him, pushing him against the wall. Defendant Winston claims that he felt plaintiff “tense up” and “push[ ] back” when he attempted to guide him into the cell. In order to get him to [767]*767the ground, Winston testified that he “delivered a strike to [plaintiffs] left common peroneal,” which is a nerve in the back of the leg. (Dkt. 63-5 at 7). This is a strike officers are trained to use to restrain someone who is resisting their commands. {Id.).

The video shows that plaintiff was forced to the floor and landed on his face. Then three of the other officers restrained plaintiff at his head and feet while defendant Winston appears to kneel on top of plaintiffs back. Defendants Mangrum and Pritchard testified that they held plaintiff down on the ground while he was being handcuffed. (Dkt. 63-6 at 18; Dkt. 63-8 at 8). Defendant Martin also testified that he came into physical contact with plaintiff during this altercation. (Dkt. 63-7 at 9). Plaintiff alleges that while lying handcuffed face-down on the floor, Winston beat on the back of his head while kneeing him in the back causing his head to “split open on the hard concrete floor.” (Dkt. 63-3 at 19-21). Defendants claim that plaintiff was resisting while on the floor by tightening his arms to make restraining him more difficult. While plaintiff was being restrained on the floor, a sixth officer walked down the hallway towards the melee.

A group of officers then lifted plaintiff up so that he was sitting in the middle of the hallway. The end of the video shows plaintiff sitting handcuffed with his pants around his ankles and blood on the left side of his face and above his right eye. Plaintiff also alleges that one of his teeth was knocked out as a result of the strikes to his head. (Dkt. 63-3 at 23).

Defendant Schmieder testified at his deposition that he was not in the vicinity at the time of the incident, but only reviewed reports of it after the fact. This is consistent with video evidence showing only six officers in the area. Defendants Winston, Martin, Pritchard, Mangrum, and Szemites all testified that they were present during this incident. Plaintiff alleges that defendant Nuckolls was present as well, although Nuckolls disputed this fact when questioned during his deposition.

Plaintiff was examined by a nurse at the jail and it was determined that he needed to be taken to the hospital. (Dkt. 63-7 at 10). Defendants Dobbs and Szemites took plaintiff to Hurley Medical Center where he was treated for his injuries and received thirteen stitches. (Dkt. 63-3 at 26; Dkt. 63-5 at 9). After being treated at the hospital, plaintiff was transported and released into the community. During this drive, defendants Dobbs and Szemites allegedly told plaintiff “not to worry about what happened at the jail, that Sergeant Nuckolls said that Deputy Winston would be handled.” (Dkt. 63-3 at 26).

The September 2011 Incident

In September 2011, plaintiff was held at the same jail on a warrant for larceny. During this visit, plaintiff was on medication, which was administered by the jail nurse. All parties agree that when the nurse administered the medication, she asked plaintiff to show her that he had swallowed the pills. Plaintiff claims he opened his mouth for the nurse to see that he swallowed the medication; however, defendant Szemites testified that plaintiff did not lift his tongue, and defendant Dobbs testified that plaintiff opened his mouth, but only about “one finger” wide. The nurse then said, “Do I have to get Officer Dobbs to look in your mouth for you?” (Dkt. 63-3 at 32; Dkt. 63-9 at 7;Dkt. 63-11 at 11).

Defendant Dobbs approached the area. Plaintiff testified that he opened his mouth for Dobbs and then began to walk away. Defendant Szemites asked plaintiff to return to show him that he had swallowed [768]

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
54 F. Supp. 3d 763, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 147717, 2014 WL 5307453, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rowlery-v-genesee-county-mied-2014.