White v. Tamlyn

961 F. Supp. 1047, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5017, 1997 WL 182927
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedMarch 31, 1997
Docket4:96-cv-40097
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 961 F. Supp. 1047 (White v. Tamlyn) 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
White v. Tamlyn, 961 F. Supp. 1047, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5017, 1997 WL 182927 (E.D. Mich. 1997).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART DEFENDANTS’ MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

GADOLA, District Judge.

On December 21, 1995, plaintiff Donna White filed the instant case against defendants Mark Tamlyn, Michael Harris, Richard Holme, Richard Pierce, Dwayne Crawford, Lil Jon Drew, Robert A. Ficano, County of Wayne and Wayne County Sheriff’s Department alleging, inter alia, violations of her civil rights under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The case was removed to this court pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 1331, 1441 on March 7, 1996. Presently before this court are two motions for summary judgment. The first motion was filed on January 15, 1997 by defendants Wayne County, Wayne County Sheriff’s Department, Ficano, Pierce and Holme. The second was filed on January 17, 1997 by defendants Tamlyn, Harris, Crawford and Drew. For the following reasons, defendants’ motions will be granted in part and denied in part.

FACTS 1

On December 23, 1993, at approximately 3:30 p.m., undercover Wayne County Sheriff Deputies Pierce and Holme observed “Gangster,” a known narcotics dealer, conducting a drug purchase on the east side of John R. Street, south of Alfred Street with two occupants of a green Mercury Cougar. Pierce and Holme pulled behind the suspect vehicle and exited their unmarked car. Pierce approached on the driver side and observed the driver and passenger smoking from a crack pipe. Pierce knocked on the driver side window and identified himself as a police officer. The driver of the vehicle placed the car in gear and sped away dragging Holme approximately 15-20 feet. Pierce picked up Holme and proceeded after the suspect vehicle.

Deputies Pierce and Holme followed the Cougar west on Alfred Street at which time the driver eluded Pierce and Holme. Shortly thereafter, the Mercury Cougar was observed turning west on Temple from northbound Cass Street. The deputies activated their blue strobe light and siren, and followed the suspect’s vehicle to the Lodge Freeway. At this time, Pierce and Holme noted the license plate number and radioed their dispatcher for assistance. In their call to Wayne County Metro Dispatch for help, the Deputies gave a general description of the vehicle, stating that the vehicle was a green Mercury with two male suspects.

The Mercury Cougar proceeded north on the Lodge and exited westbound on the Ford expressway (1-94), quickly changing lanes without signaling. The vehicle then exited from 1-94, crossed the street adjacent to the exit, and re-entered the expressway at Southfield Road. 2

As the Cougar re-entered the expressway at Southfield, 3 one police car approached on *1051 the right and another on the left side of the Cougar. The squad car to the Cougar’s left gestured the suspect to pull over. Sirens were activated on both vehicles. Then, a third police car passed the police vehicle to the left of the Cougar and proceeded to pull in front of the Cougar. At this point in time, the suspect’s car struck the police ear on the left. The force of this collision propelled the Cougar into the police vehicle on the right. 4

After the collision, Michigan State Troopers Tamlyn, Harris, Crawford and Drew, who had been riding in the scout cars involved in the collision, approached the Cougar and ordered the suspect (hereinafter “plaintiff”) out of the vehicle. Crawford, Harris and Drew had their weapons drawn. Deputies Pierce and Holme, who had kept a distance during the chase, pulled up to the scene and stopped some feet behind the other police vehicles, drew their weapons and took up positions near their own car. As Drew moved around the rear of the Cougar to the passenger side, he observed the plaintiff cranking the key in the ignition attempting to start the vehicle. Crawford broke out the front of the passenger window with the butt of the rifle he was carrying, and the window shattered.

Tamlyn had by this time opened the driver’s door. A dog then exited the vehicle and ran between Crawford’s legs and across the freeway. Thereafter, according to the plaintiff, she was thrown out of her vehicle to the ground and hand-cuffed. She asserts that after being handcuffed, an officer sat on her back and another officer had a knee holding her face down, and that CS tear gas was then applied to her face. Plaintiff claims that, while blinded and unable to see, she received blows to her vaginal area. She asserts that, due to the prowess of the officers restraining her and as a result of the visual blinding that she suffered from the gas, she could not identify any of the officers who carried out these actions. She denies resisting arrest. 5

After being handcuffed, plaintiff was escorted to a patrol vehicle and patted down. *1052 It was determined at that time that she was female. Deputy Pierce conducted an inventory search of her car and found a marijuana cigarette, a small bag of suspected crack cocaine and a home-made crack pipe.

An EMS unit was called to the scene, and upon arrival flushed plaintiffs face in order to remove the gas repellant. EMS personnel observed what they believed to be a broken nose requiring medical attention and plaintiff was transported to Detroit Receiving Hospital. In the ambulance and at Detroit Receiving Hospital, plaintiff complained of pain in her vaginal area. She was examined and injuries to her vagina and genitalia were discovered. Plaintiff was thereafter transported to Hutzel Hospital and the lesions to her vaginal area were confirmed.

At Hutzel Hospital, Deputy Holme conducted a search of plaintiffs clothes and found two small plastic bags containing cocaine and one crack pipe screen. 6 Neither he nor Pierce, however, obtained a search warrant to test plaintiffs blood for drugs. Ultimately, after receiving treatment at both Detroit Receiving and Hutzel medical centers, plaintiff was transported to the Wayne County Jail.

Plaintiff was charged with possession of cocaine, a felony, and possession of marijuana, a felony. At her criminal trial, she asserted three defenses. First she argued that the police erroneously identified both her and her vehicle. Second, she introduced an alibi defense. Third, plaintiff contended that the police illegally beat her and that they fabricated and planted physical evidence on her in order to cover up their mistake in arresting her and their own illegal acts. The jury ultimately convicted plaintiff on both controlled substance counts.

On December 21, 1995, plaintiff brought a suit against Deputies Pierce and Holme, Wayne County Sheriffs Department, County of Wayne, Sheriff Robert A Ficano, as well as Michigan State Troopers Tamlyn, Harris, Crawford and Drew, alleging violations of 42 U.S.C. § 1983.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
961 F. Supp. 1047, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5017, 1997 WL 182927, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/white-v-tamlyn-mied-1997.