Younger v. City of New York

480 F. Supp. 2d 723, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 25837, 2007 WL 962870
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedMarch 29, 2007
Docket03 CV 8985 VM
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 480 F. Supp. 2d 723 (Younger v. City of New York) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Younger v. City of New York, 480 F. Supp. 2d 723, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 25837, 2007 WL 962870 (S.D.N.Y. 2007).

Opinion

DECISION AND ORDER

MARRERO, District Judge.

Pro se plaintiff George Younger (“Younger”) brought this case against defendants City of New York (the “City”), Mayor Michael Bloomberg (“Bloomberg”), Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly (“Kelly”), former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani (“Giuliani”), and several present and former New York City Police Officers: John Ballentyne (“Ballentyne”), Paul Johnson (“Johnson”), *726 Gregory John (“John”), James Piccolo (“Piccolo”), Joseph Tennariello (“Tennar-iello”), John Coughlin (“Coughlin”), Peter Kalfa (“Kalfa”), David Moskowitz (“Mos-kowitz”), Robert Decandia (“Decandia”), William Brady (“Brady”), and John Wall-muller (“Wallmuller”) (collectively, “Defendants”). Younger asserts a number of claims arising out of his arrest by New York City police officers, which took place at his Brooklyn apartment in the early morning hours of January 22, 2002. Younger’s complaint includes claims of violations of his rights under the First, Fourth, Sixth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution, brought pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981, 1983 and 1985, as well as failure to supervise, negligent hiring and retention, and negligence in the performance of duties. Defendants 1 move for summary judgment on all claims, with the exception of the excessive force claim as to some of the Defendants, which they concede involves disputed questions of fact. For the reasons set forth below, Defendants’ motion is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part.

I. BACKGROUND 2

In January of 2002, Younger resided at 1155 East 35th Street, Apartment B14, in Brooklyn, New York, with Trevene Currie (“Currie”), his common law wife; Anistasia Younger (“Anistasia”), his two-year-old daughter; Annyus Younger (“Annyus”), his ten-month-old son; and Dejonte Monroe (“Dejonte”), his seven-year-old stepson.

On January 22, 2002, at approximately 3:48 a.m., someone inside Younger’s apartment called 911. After the 911 operator answered the call and inquired as to the nature of the emergency, the call was disconnected. The call lasted about ten seconds. On that morning, Younger, Currie, Anistasia, Annyus, and Dejonte were all in the apartment, as was Younger’s brother, Armando Younger (“Armando”), who occasionally stayed with Younger. It is uncer *727 tain whether Younger had been arguing with Currie that morning. Younger had consumed alcohol that night and was somewhat intoxicated. It remains unclear who initiated the 911 call.

At approximately 3:55 a.m., New York City police officers from the 63rd Precinct arrived at Younger’s apartment, having responded to a radio run about the 911 call. The officers knocked on the door and identified themselves, and they report having heard the sounds of arguing and children crying coming from inside the apartment. The officers requested that Younger open the door and allow them to check on the safety of those inside. According to the officers, Younger angrily refused, telling them to “get the fuck away from the door” and that they “ain’t coming up in here” without a warrant. (Defs.’ 56.1 Statement ¶25.) Younger repeatedly told the officers that nobody had called the police. Younger stated in his deposition in this case that he did not call 911 and had no knowledge of anyone else doing so. (See Deposition of George Younger, attached as Ex. C to Najib Decl. at 67:25-68:3.) Further angry exchanges between the officers and Younger followed. A police sergeant who was present at the scene placed a telephone call to Younger’s apartment, and attempted unsuccessfully to convince Younger to open the door.

At about 4:04 a.m., a second 911 call was initiated from Younger’s apartment. During that phone call, Younger argued angrily with the 911 operator, demanding that the officers be ordered to move away from his door. He stated that the officers had no business being at his apartment, that they had no warrant, and that he would not let them in. This call lasted about three minutes.

At approximately 4:17 a.m., defendant Brady, who was a supervising police officer from the 63rd Precinct, requested that officers from the Emergency Services Unit (“ESU”) respond to the location because the officers there were unable to gain entry to the apartment. According to the Defendants, at some point before the ESU officers arrived, Younger stated that he knew his Second Amendment rights and would use them. Younger denies having mentioned the Second Amendment, but he does recall having referred to his rights under the Fourth Amendment.

Upon their arrival at the scene, defendants John and Johnson, both ESU officers, requested that Younger allow them into the apartment. Younger refused. Younger reports that he called the telephone company to inquire whether it could record the sounds in his apartment through his telephone, so that he would have a record of the what the police officers were saying to him. The telephone company did not have that capability, but they gave him the telephone number for the Internal Affairs Bureau (“IAB”). According to Younger, he then called the IAB, and the IAB officer who answered the telephone told him that he did not have to let the officers into his apartment if they did not have a warrant.

Younger claims that the police officers began threatening that if he did not open the door, they were going to hurt somebody. Through his third-floor apartment ■window, Younger saw a number of police cars and other emergency vehicles. He says that he opened the window and yelled to the officers outside that there were children in the apartment.

The ESU officers removed the peephole from Younger’s door. Through that three-inch wide opening, they could see Younger, Currie, and the children.

At 4:56 a.m., a third 911 call was placed from inside Younger’s apartment. Younger told the 911 operator that the police *728 were trying to illegally break into his apartment without a warrant. He stated that he had already lodged a complaint with the IAB. On the audio tape of the 911 call, Younger can be heard arguing with the police, telling them that they cannot come into the apartment and alerting them to the fact that Currie is pregnant. The officers can be heard at the door stating that they will be coming in. Currie also spoke with the 911 operator, telling her that nobody had called 911 from the apartment. The 911 operator told Currie that the officers were there to check on the safety of the children and would break the door down if necessary. A few minutes into the call, the ESU officers can be heard forcibly entering the apartment. Loud noises, unintelligible voices, and crying continue for a number of. minutes. Younger can be heard asking if his daughter is okay and complaining about injuries inflicted on him by the officers. The telephone call was disconnected at 5:09 a.m.

Younger alleges that he was beaten by the ESU officers.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Lewis v. Westchester County
S.D. New York, 2021
Campbell v. City of Yonkers
S.D. New York, 2020
Rosado v. Mastrantonio
W.D. New York, 2019
Torres v. Vasta
S.D. New York, 2019
Scott v. City of Rochester
W.D. New York, 2019
Corley v. Vance
365 F. Supp. 3d 407 (S.D. Illinois, 2019)
Nelson v. City of Albuquerque
283 F. Supp. 3d 1048 (D. New Mexico, 2017)
Lozada v. Weilminster
92 F. Supp. 3d 76 (E.D. New York, 2015)
McKay v. City of New York
32 F. Supp. 3d 499 (S.D. New York, 2014)
Chillemi v. Town of Southampton
943 F. Supp. 2d 365 (E.D. New York, 2013)
Small v. Bud-K Worldwide, Inc.
895 F. Supp. 2d 438 (E.D. New York, 2012)
Pooler v. Hempstead Police Department
897 F. Supp. 2d 12 (E.D. New York, 2012)
Jean-Laurent v. Wilkinson
540 F. Supp. 2d 501 (S.D. New York, 2008)
Espada v. Schneider
522 F. Supp. 2d 544 (S.D. New York, 2007)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
480 F. Supp. 2d 723, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 25837, 2007 WL 962870, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/younger-v-city-of-new-york-nysd-2007.