Williams v. Goodfriend

347 F. Supp. 3d 169
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. New York
DecidedNovember 16, 2018
Docket15-CV-6608L
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 347 F. Supp. 3d 169 (Williams v. Goodfriend) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Williams v. Goodfriend, 347 F. Supp. 3d 169 (W.D.N.Y. 2018).

Opinion

DAVID G. LARIMER, United States District Judge

Plaintiff Marlon T. Williams, appearing pro se , commenced this suit pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiff has brought a number of claims against five officers of the Rochester Police Department ("RPD"), arising out of his arrest on June 18, 2014. Defendants have moved for summary judgment dismissing the complaint (Dkt. # 36).1

BACKGROUND

On the evening of June 18, 2014, plaintiff was released from jail in Buffalo, New York. He had been arrested for a parole violation. Williams Depo. (Dkt. # 36-1 Ex. B) at 16-20.

Plaintiff testified at his deposition in this case that his "baby mother," Keya Thompson-White ("Keya"), bailed plaintiff out of jail. After his release, plaintiff was driven back to Rochester by Keya, his cousins and his brother. Id. at 20.

*173Later that day, the RPD received a call of a man with a gun who had menaced someone in front of a house on North Goodman Street in Rochester. Defendant RPD Officer Cody Goodfriend responded to the call.

Upon arriving at the house, Goodfriend spoke to the victim, Lakesha Jenkins, who told him that she had gotten into an argument with Keya in front of the house. Goodfriend states in an affidavit (Dkt. # 36-2) that Jenkins said that while she was arguing with Keya, she saw plaintiff exit a car parked across the street. He walked over, began yelling at her and accused her of "setting up" his brother (who had been shot by someone a few nights earlier). Goodfriend states that Jenkins told him that plaintiff pulled out a handgun and yelled at her, "You gonna die tonight Kesha!," but two men who had been in the car with plaintiff pulled him away from the scene, and he left.

Goodfriend, accompanied by defendant Officer Salvatore Amato, then went to a house on Keller Street, which Jenkins had identified as plaintiff's residence. When they arrived, Goodfriend and Amato found a crowd of people in the front yard. Plaintiff testified at his deposition in this case that "[t]here was a ton" of people at his house, mostly relatives, who were there to welcome him home from jail. Plaintiff's Depo. (Dkt. # 36-1 Ex. B) at 24.

Defendants state that shortly after their arrival, they began talking with plaintiff's mother, who was standing outside in the yard. She told them that plaintiff was inside the house. At this point, the parties' versions of the details diverge to some extent.

Defendants contend that as this conversation was going on, outside the house, plaintiff came out of the front door of the house and asked what was going on. Defendants assert that when he was told that he was under arrest, plaintiff yelled, "Hell no! I ain't going nowhere," and ran back into the house. (Dkt. # 38 ¶ 16.) Defendants assert that they immediately pursued him into the house.

Plaintiff testified at his deposition that he was in his second-floor bedroom when he heard some commotion downstairs, and that he came downstairs to find his mother and police officers, inside the house. He testified that the officers attempted to persuade him to come outside, but that he responded that if he was not under arrest, he would not do so. (Dkt. # 36-1 Ex. B at 29-30.)

What is undisputed is that a physical altercation broke out between plaintiff and defendants, inside the house. Defendants admit that they used force against plaintiff. They state that based on Jenkins's statements about plaintiff brandishing a gun, they decided, and attempted, to arrest plaintiff, but he ran into the house. The officers pursued him, and inside the house they were confronted by several other people (presumably guests of plaintiff, who were there to join in the welcome-home celebration) who began making hostile comments toward the officers.

Defendants state that they tried to apprehend plaintiff, who resisted their attempts. During the ensuing scuffle, plaintiff allegedly backed himself into a corner and assumed a "fighting stance." According to defendants, defendant Amato then struck plaintiff with a closed fist, and as the two men grappled, Amato used his knee to hit plaintiff in the forehead.

At some point, three other officers arrived: Timothy Pancoe, Paul Helfer, and Richard Rodriguez. Eventually, plaintiff ended up on the floor. According to defendants, they attempted to handcuff him, but he continued to resist. After defendant Goodfriend struck plaintiff in the face, *174plaintiff rolled onto his stomach. Defendant Helfer used his taser against plaintiff, while defendants Rodriguez and Goodfriend continued to strike plaintiff, until they were able to get plaintiff's right arm behind his back and handcuff him. Plaintiff was then taken to a nearby police station, and later to Rochester General Hospital, where he received medical treatment. Def. R. 56 Statement (Dkt. # 38.)

That, in a nutshell, is defendants' version of what happened. According to plaintiff, he was upstairs, and when he heard yelling coming from the first floor, he went downstairs, with his two-year-old son in his arms, and found defendants in a confrontation with plaintiff's mother and some of his other relatives. Plaintiff alleges that the officers pushed his mother aside, and that Officer Goodfriend lunged at plaintiff. Plaintiff instinctively attempted to block Goodfriend's punch, and in the ensuing struggle, plaintiff was struck and tased, and eventually lost consciousness. Plaintiff's Depo. Tr. (Dkt. # 36-1 Ex. B.) at 49-57. Plaintiff testified that his next memory is of waking up in the back of a police car. Id. at 57. Plaintiff has submitted a photograph, apparently taken by an RPD officer, of plaintiff in the back of a police car, with blood stains over much of his face and on his upper right thigh. (Dkt. # 42-2.) Again, defendants do not deny that they used a significant amount of force against plaintiff; they simply contend that it was reasonable, under the circumstances.

Following plaintiff's arrest, Goodfriend executed an accusatory instrument, accusing plaintiff of menacing in the second degree ( N.Y. Penal L. § 120.14(1) ), resisting arrest ( N.Y. Penal L. § 205.30 ), and harassment in the second degree ( N.Y. Penal L. § 240.26 ). Goodfriend Aff. ¶ 40 and Ex. C.

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Bluebook (online)
347 F. Supp. 3d 169, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/williams-v-goodfriend-nywd-2018.