Smith v. Arrowood

District Court, W.D. New York·Decided September 18, 2023·No. 6:21-cv-06318·Unknown

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK ___________________________________

DANA SMITH,

Plaintiff, DECISION AND ORDER

-v- 6:21-CV-6318 EAW

RICHARD ARROWOOD, CHARLES CARROLL, and CHRISTIAN DEVINNEY,

Defendants. ___________________________________ INTRODUCTION Plaintiff Dana Smith (“Plaintiff”) filed this action seeking relief under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents of Federal Bureau of Narcotics, 403 U.S. 388 (1971), for violations of his Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights and other state law claims. (Dkt. 1). Before the Court is a motion to dismiss filed by defendants Charles Carroll (“Defendant Carroll”) and Christopher DeVinney (“Defendant DeVinney”) (collectively, “the Moving Defendants”). (Dkt. 39). Because the second amended complaint fails to state a cognizable Bivens claim against the Moving Defendants, the motion to dismiss is granted. DISCUSSION I. Factual Background The following facts are taken from Plaintiff’s second amended complaint (Dkt. 34).

As required on a motion to dismiss, the Court treats Plaintiff’s factual allegations as true and must draw all inferences in Plaintiff’s favor. On June 19, 2020, at approximately 8:00 p.m., the Moving Defendants, along with defendant Richard Arrowood (“Defendant Arrowood”) and other law enforcement officers, arrived at a private residence at 1755 Falls Street, in the City of Niagara Falls, New York.

(Id. at ¶ 8). Plaintiff alleges that these law enforcement officers were part of a United States Marshals Service task force1 charged with executing fugitive warrants and they intended to take Plaintiff into custody. (Id. at ¶¶ 5, 6 & 9). Defendant Arrowood approached the residence and shouted to Plaintiff that he wanted to speak to him. (Id. at ¶ 9). None of the officers were wearing uniforms or advised

Plaintiff that they were police officers. (Id.). Plaintiff retreated into the residence and attempted to close the door, but Defendant Arrowood and Defendant Carroll forced their way into the residence and tried to physically subdue Plaintiff. (Id. at ¶ 10). Defendant DeVinney endeavored to breach the front door along with Defendant Arrowood and

1 Defendant Carroll and Defendant DeVinney are alleged to be “law enforcement officers acting under color of legal authority of the United States Marshall’s [sic] NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Warrant Task Force” (Dkt. 34 at ¶ 5), and they are represented in this action by the United States Attorney’s Office. By contrast, Defendant Arrowood is alleged to be a City of Rochester Police Department officer assigned to the task force who was acting “under color of state law” (id. at ¶ 6), and he is represented in this action by the City of Rochester Law Department. Defendant Carroll, and he was in a position to stop them but did not attempt to do so. (Id. at ¶ 11). Once inside, Defendant Arrowood shot Plaintiff more than once with a .45 caliber handgun at point-blank range. (Id. at ¶ 14). The gunshots caused Plaintiff serious injuries

including two bullet-entry wounds, significant blood loss, injury to his diaphragm and spleen, multiple broken bones, a collapsed lung, and nerve damage. (Id.). Defendant Carroll and Defendant Arrowood, with the assistance of other unnamed members of the task force team who entered through the back door of the residence, dragged Plaintiff out of his residence and into the yard. (Id.).

Plaintiff alleges that there was neither an arrest nor search warrant authorizing the entry into his residence and his arrest. (Id. at ¶ 18). Likewise, no defendant sought permission to enter the home. (Id. at ¶ 13). Plaintiff asserts a first cause of action against the Moving Defendants and Defendant Arrowood for violation of his Fourth Amendment rights and a second cause of action for

assault against Defendant Arrowood for violation of his Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights. Plaintiff’s claim against Defendant Carroll arises from Defendant Carroll’s forced entry into Plaintiff’s residence without a warrant and Plaintiff also asserts that both Defendant Carroll and Defendant DeVinney failed to intervene to prevent Defendant Arrowood from shooting him.

II. Procedural Background Plaintiff commenced the instant action on April 14, 2021, against the Moving Defendants and Defendant Arrowood, as well as additional defendants employed by federal and local authorities who were allegedly involved in the incident. (Dkt. 1). After initial motion practice, on August 31, 2022, the Court issued a Decision and Order dismissing many of the claims and defendants, but granting Plaintiff leave to amend his complaint as against Defendant Arrowood, Defendant Carroll, and Defendant DeVinney.

(Dkt. 33). Familiarity with that Decision and Order is assumed for purposes of this Decision and Order. On September 19, 2022, Plaintiff filed his second amended complaint. (Dkt. 34). On October 11, 2022, Defendant Carroll and Defendant DeVinney filed the instant motion to dismiss. (Dkt. 39). On October 17, 2022, Defendant Arrowood filed his answer to the

second amended complaint. (Dkt. 41). On November 10, 2022, Plaintiff filed a response in opposition to the motion to dismiss. (Dkt. 43). On November 17, 2022, Defendant Carroll and Defendant DeVinney filed their reply. (Dkt. 44). DISCUSSION I. Legal Standard

“In considering a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6), a district court may consider the facts alleged in the [pleading], documents attached to the [pleading] as exhibits, and documents incorporated by reference in the [pleading].” DiFolco v. MSNBC Cable L.L.C., 622 F.3d 104, 111 (2d Cir. 2010). A court should consider the motion by “accepting all factual allegations as true and drawing all

reasonable inferences in favor of the [claimant].” Trs. of Upstate N.Y. Eng’rs Pension Fund v. Ivy Asset Mgmt., 843 F.3d 561, 566 (2d Cir. 2016). To withstand dismissal, a claimant must set forth “enough facts to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.” Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007). “A claim has facial plausibility when the [claimant] pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.” Turkmen v. Ashcroft, 589 F.3d 542, 546 (2d Cir. 2009) (quoting Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009)).

“While a [pleading] attacked by a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss does not need detailed factual allegations, a [claimant]’s obligation to provide the grounds of his entitle[ment] to relief requires more than labels and conclusions, and a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do.” Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555 (internal quotations and citations omitted). “To state a plausible claim, the [pleading]’s ‘[f]actual

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