Sweatt v. Blackman Township Officer Brent Doxtader

986 F. Supp. 2d 886, 2013 WL 6499527, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 173715
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedDecember 11, 2013
DocketCase No. 12-12257
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 986 F. Supp. 2d 886 (Sweatt v. Blackman Township Officer Brent Doxtader) 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
Sweatt v. Blackman Township Officer Brent Doxtader, 986 F. Supp. 2d 886, 2013 WL 6499527, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 173715 (E.D. Mich. 2013).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER DENYING DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT (Dkt. No. 12)

PAUL D. BORMAN, District Judge.

This civil rights case arises from circumstances surrounding Plaintiff Ronald Sweatt’s (“Plaintiff’) arrest following a domestic assault on May 24, 2010. The complaint was filed on May 23, 2012. (Dkt. No. 1).

Now before the Court is Defendant Officer Brent Doxtader’s (“Officer Doxtader”) Motion for Summary Judgment filed on March 1, 2013. (Dkt. No. 12). Plaintiff responded on April 1, 2013. (Dkt. No. 17). Officer Doxtader then filed a reply. (Dkt. No. 18). A hearing on this matter was held on November 22, 2013.

For the reasons stated below, the Court DENIES Officer Doxtader’s Motion for Summary Judgment.

I. BACKGROUND

The Court views the record in the light most favorable to Plaintiff and sets forth [889]*889the facts of the case drawing all reasonable inferences in his favor. See Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., et al. v. Zenith Radio Corp., et al., 475 U.S. 574, 587, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986). The Court notes that this case involves an audio recording that accompanies a dashboard camera video. The dash-camera was continuously pointed at Plaintiffs residence; it captures only limited activity. Only where Plaintiffs version of the facts is silent or “blatantly contradicted” by the audio recording captured from Officer Doxtader’s on-person microphone and at times the in-car microphone, will the Court rely upon the recordings. See Scott v. Harris, 550 U.S. 372, 380, 127 S.Ct. 1769, 167 L.Ed.2d 686 (2007); Coble v. City of White House, Tenn., 634 F.3d 865, 868 (6th Cir.2011); Def.’s Br. Ex. 4, DVD.

A. Doxtader Arrives at the Scene

On May 24, 2010, Officer Doxtader was dispatched to Plaintiffs Blackman Township residence for an alleged domestic assault. (Def.’s Br. Ex. 2, Police Report at 1, 4 & 5).

Officer Doxtader was met at Plaintiffs residence by Plaintiffs step-daughter, Daniella Treciak, who had called 911 to report the incident. (Police Report at 5; Def.’s Br. Ex. 3, Doxtader Dep. 18). Daniella informed Officer Doxtader that Plaintiff, his wife, and their other daughter, Sierra Sweatt, were involved in an argument regarding Sierra’s newborn daughter and whether Sierra’s ex-boyfriend should have been allowed to take the baby for a visit. (Def. Br. Ex. 1, Daniella Treciak’s Witness Statement). At some point during the argument, Plaintiff threw a Bic lighter which hit the wall and ricocheted into Sierra’s eye. (Def.’s Br. Ex. 6, Plf.’s Dep. 58; Daniella Treciak’s Witness Statement, “he [ ] then threw a lighter that hit Sierra in the face.”; Police Report at 5). After Sierra was injured, Daniella entered the argument “yelling at Ron saying “what did you do that for and why.’ ” (Daniella Witness Statement). Plaintiff then allegedly hit Daniella in the face. (Id.; Def.’s Br. Ex. 5, Daniella Treciak’s Dep. 21; Def.’s Br. Ex. 4, DVD, 00:00:52-00:02:00). Plaintiff testified that he does not remember if he hit Daniella in the face. (Plf.’s Dep. 63).

Prior to Officer Doxtader arriving at the scene, Plaintiff left the residence after learning Daniella was going to call the police. (Plf.’s Dep. 68, 79). Plaintiff testified that he left the residence because he wanted no more of the “ruckus” and also because he did not want to be arrested or go to jail. (Id. 66-68). Plaintiff has three prior convictions. (Pit’s Dep. 44). Plaintiff further testified that after leaving his house he went around the fence to the back parking lot of a Red Lobster which abutted his yard. (Id. 73-76; see also Plf.’s Dep. Ex. 4, Plaintiff’s Diagram). He then positioned himself between two storage sheds that were off-set from the fence by a few feet so he would be hidden from police when they arrived. (Plf.’s Dep. 73-74, 79-80).

While Plaintiff hid in the nearby Red Lobster parking lot, Officer Doxtader noted the injuries to Sierra and Daniella, and requested an ambulance be sent to the residence. (Police Report at 5, DVD, 00:02:00-00:02:33). The injury to Sierra’s eye was noted to be swollen, red and bloodshot, and Daniella’s left temple and left side of her face was red. (Police Report at 5; Def.’s Br. Ex. 7, Picture of Sierra’s Injury; Def s Br. Ex. 8, Picture of Daniella’s Injury). Officer Doxtader also radioed Plaintiff’s description to dispatch and notified them that he had fled the scene on foot. (DVD, 00:01:20-00:03:12). Daniella explained to Officer Doxtader that her “step-dad has a bad temper” and [890]*890that he had been really “moody” lately. (DVD, 00:04:17-00:04:20 and 00:07:37:00-7:48:10).

Approximately fifteen minutes after Officer Doxtader arrived at Plaintiffs residence the ambulance crew arrived. (DVD, 00:15:19). Plaintiffs cousin, Eric Treciak, then arrived at Plaintiffs residence on his motorcycle and walked in the side door. (DVD, 00:19:45:00).

After treating Sierra, the ambulance left Plaintiffs residence. (DVD, 00:22:13). Plaintiff testified that upon seeing the ambulance leave he became concerned about his daughter and he came out from between the sheds and looked over the fence into his yard. (Id. 73, 80). While peeking over the privacy fence, Plaintiff made eye contact with Officer Doxtader. (Plf.’s Dep. 80). Plaintiff testified that “[Officer Doxtader] was looking right at me, and when he did, I thought, God, Pve had it. Then I started walking in a westerly direction.” (Id. 80:17-18). When Officer Doxtader saw Plaintiff over the fence he radioed dispatch to inform them it appeared Plaintiff was in the area and requested backup. (DVD, 00:25:21-26:16). Officer Doxtader then ran after Plaintiff. (DVD, 00:25:49-00:26:09:00; Police Report at 5; Doxtader Dep. 14).

B. Plaintiffs version of the Apprehension

Plaintiff testified that after he locked eyes with Officer Doxtader over the fence he walked away because he didn’t want to be arrested. (Plf.’s Dep. 81). Plaintiff states that he had his back to Officer Doxtader when Officer Doxtader first called out, “stop, stop” and “[g]et on the ground.” (Plf.’s Dep. 84). Plaintiff testified that in response to Officer Doxtader’s commands he stopped, laid face down on the ground, and put his hands behind his back. (Plf.’s Dep. 84-86). Plaintiff testified that while laying on the ground and not moving, Officer Doxtader first pepper sprayed him in the side of the face, then forcibly kneed him in the back, and then handcuffed him. (Plf.’s Dep. 87-89, 92).

Plaintiffs nephew, Eric Treciak, testified that he was standing on the front porch and witnessed the incident. (Plf.’s Br. Ex. 5, Eric Treciak Dep. 39-40). Eric testified that he saw Plaintiff walking away from Officer Doxtader. (E. Treciak Dep. 39 — 40). Eric testified that he saw Officer Doxtader go around the fence and yell freeze or stop and witnessed Plaintiff get “on his stomach and put his hands behind his back”. (E. Treciak Dep. 41-42). Then Eric ran off the front porch to the end of the fence and watched as Officer Doxtader approached Plaintiff and said “don’t move” and pepper sprayed him in the face while he was lying on the ground. (Id. 41-45).

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986 F. Supp. 2d 886, 2013 WL 6499527, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 173715, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sweatt-v-blackman-township-officer-brent-doxtader-mied-2013.