Self v. City of Mansfield

369 F. Supp. 3d 684
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Texas
DecidedMarch 26, 2019
DocketCIVIL ACTION NO. 3:18-CV-0473-G
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 369 F. Supp. 3d 684 (Self v. City of Mansfield) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Self v. City of Mansfield, 369 F. Supp. 3d 684 (N.D. Tex. 2019).

Opinion

A. JOE FISH, Senior United States District Judge *691Before the court is the motion of the defendants the City of Mansfield, Texas (the "City"), Clayton Chandler ("Chandler"), and Tracy Aaron ("Aaron") to dismiss the plaintiffs' claims against them pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6), F.R. Civ. P. (docket entry 25). For the following reasons, the motion is granted.

I. BACKGROUND

On February 27, 2016, City of Mansfield police arrested Jeremiah John Gillespie ("Gillespie") for "driving under the influence" and placed him in the City of Mansfield jail ("Mansfield jail") located within the City of Mansfield Law Enforcement Center, a facility owned and operated by the City by and through the City of Mansfield City Council. Plaintiffs' First Amended Complaint ("Complaint") (docket entry 23) ¶¶ 1.01, 5.01, 5.30. Gillespie arrived in a patrol car to the Mansfield jail at approximately 5:35 p.m. that day. Mansfield Police Department Investigation Report ("Malcolm Report") at 3, attached to Complaint as Exhibit 4. Gillespie "was suffering from an acute overdose of a variety of medications" during his detention. Complaint ¶ 1.01. He later died while in custody in the Mansfield jail from a heart condition aggravated by a drug overdose which the plaintiffs contend "went untreated for hours due to the unconstitutional policies, practices and customs of the Mansfield Jail, as adopted and maintained by its policy makers, ... Chandler and ... Aaron which treated drug overdoses identically to alcohol intoxications." Plaintiffs' Response to Defendants' Second Motion & Brief to Dismiss & Alternatively Plaintiffs' Motion to Abate and to Compel Defendants to Answer Plaintiffs' First Amended Complaint ("Response") (docket entry 26) at 2; see also id. at 9.

The plaintiff Lindsey N. Self ("Lindsey Self") was Gillespie's wife at the time of his death. Complaint ¶ 3.01. The plaintiff Elin Victoria Self-Gillespie is the daughter of Lindsey Self and Gillespie. Id. ¶ 3.02. The plaintiff Paula K. Long ("Paula Long") was Gillespie's mother. Id. ¶ 3.04.

The City is a municipality of the state of Texas and a council-manager form of government. Id. ¶ 3.05; Response at 7. At the time of Gillespie's detention and death, Chandler served as city manager, and Aaron served as chief of police for the City. Complaint ¶¶ 3.06, 3.07. The plaintiffs maintain that the Mansfield City Council delegated policy making authority to Chandler, and in turn Chandler delegated policy making authority to Aaron. Response at 7-8. The plaintiffs further assert that the "adoption of the unconstitutional policies for the operation of the City of Mansfield Jail were adopted by [Chandler and/or Aaron]." Id. at 8.

The plaintiffs contend that throughout Gillespie's detention until the time of his death "he was presenting clear and obvious signs of suffering from a severe and acute drug overdose." Complaint ¶ 5.30. The plaintiffs further maintain that "[t]he difference in alcohol intoxication versus a drug overdose was known or should have been known to the [d]efendants at the time of ... Gillespie's detention at the City of Mansfield Jail and his subsequent death just hours after being taken into custody." Id. ¶ 5.06.

At the Mansfield jail, each pretrial detainee goes through "a medical screening process during book-in[.]" Defendants'

*692Second Motion & Brief to Dismiss ("Motion") (docket entry 25) at 9. As a part of that process, an administered medical questionnaire "seeks information about medications the arrestee uses, any medical conditions, if they are under the influence or if they have illnesses." Id. at 14. Jail personnel log that information into a computer system which is reviewed by on-staff nurses. Id. at 9-10, 14.

After Gillespie was searched, he was placed in a holding cell. Malcolm Report at 3. Eighteen minutes later, another pretrial detainee in the same cell alerted jail officials that Gillespie might be suffering from a seizure. Id. at 4; Motion at 16; Complaint ¶ 5.44. Nurse Kimberly Barnes ("Barnes") subsequently entered the holding cell, checked Gillespie's vital signs, and spoke to Gillespie, at which time he reported that he had taken the anti-seizure medication Keppra in a dosage of 500 milligrams for past seizures. Motion at 16; Malcolm Report at 4; see also Mansfield Police Department Statement Form of Kimberly Barnes ("Barnes Statement") at 1, attached to Complaint as Exhibit 7. According to Barnes, Gillespie would not tell her "if he was on any drugs or anything...." Malcolm Report at 9. Gillespie appeared "groggy" in the holding cell, but Barnes found that "very typical for somebody who had a seizure because you can sleep all day after you have a seizure." Id. Barnes ordered Gillespie moved from the holding cell to a segregation cell so that he could rest on a mattress on the floor rather than in a bunk bed from which he might fall if he suffered another seizure or became disoriented. Id. at 1. Mattresses are not permitted in holding cells. Id. Before Gillespie was placed in the segregation cell, Barnes, in the presence of Mansfield jail correctional officer Megan Bailey ("Bailey"), asked Gillespie if he had "been drinking or taking anything, [and] he shook his head 'No.' " Motion at 16.

"Arresting Officer Herlihy told jail staff that Gillespie was drunk ... [and thus] sought a DUI blood draw because he suspected Gillespie was drunk." Id. at 15; see also Defendants' Reply Opposing Plaintiffs' Response & Motion (Doc. 26) Regarding Defendants' Second Motion to Dismiss ("Reply") (docket entry 27) at 5. Barnes "saw nothing about Gillespie's condition that made him stand out as having any risk different from any of the other hundreds of intoxicated people she had dealt with." Motion at 15. Jail officials also considered Gillespie drunk and not "under a drug overdose." Reply at 5.

After a warrant was issued for the blood draw, jail officials transported Gillespie to the nurses' station for the blood draw in a restraint chair because the wheelchair was in use, and Gillespie was unable to stand or walk without assistance. Motion at 16; Malcolm Report at 4, 7. Gillespie was not restrained in the chair. Malcolm Report at 4. He was in and out of consciousness during the blood draw. Complaint ¶ 5.29. After Barnes drew Gillespie's blood, she administered him a 500 milligram tablet of Keppra. Motion at 16; Complaint ¶ 5.47; Barnes Statement at 1; Malcolm Report at 5. The plaintiffs contend that Barnes illegally diagnosed Gillespie's medical condition and prescribed Keppra, the effects of which contributed to or exacerbated Gillespie's medical overdose condition. Complaint ¶¶ 5.51-5.53.

At 7:44 p.m., correctional officers then placed Gillespie back into the same segregation cell so that he would be monitored more closely (i.e ., approximately every 30 minutes). Motion at 16-17. Gillespie was told to stay on his side in case he might vomit and then asphyxiate. Id. at 16; see also Mansfield Police Department Statement Form of Megan Bailey ("Bailey Statement") at 2, attached to Complaint as *693Exhibit 6. To this directive Gillespie responded, "This isn't my first rodeo." Motion at 17; Bailey Statement at 2. He then covered himself with a blanket. Id. The defendants aver that "[a]t this point, Gillespie ...

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369 F. Supp. 3d 684, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/self-v-city-of-mansfield-txnd-2019.