Cantrell v. White
Cantrell v. White
Opinion of the Court
OPINION AND ORDER
This is a civil rights action. It is before the Court on the Defendant Wesley White’s Motion for Summary Judgment [Doc. 102] and the Defendant the City of College Park’s Motion for Summary Judgment [Doc. 103]. For the reasons set forth below, the Defendant Wesley White’s Motion for Summary Judgment [Doc. 102] is DENIED and the Defendant the City of College Park’s Motion for Summary Judgment [Doc. 103] is GRANTED.
I. Background
On February 7, 2008, the City of College Park Police Department responded to a domestic violence complaint made by Phel-lan Robinson.
The Defendant Officer Wesley White, along with Officers Long and Ware, responded to the complaint as backup for
According to the Defendants, White yelled to Cantrell, “Stop, College Park Police,” and Cantrell began to walk toward him.
The Defendants further state that at some point during the altercation, Fowler and Northcutt arrived on the scene.
The Plaintiffs dispute the Defendants’ version of the facts. The Plaintiffs contend that, based on their forensic expert’s findings, there is a question of fact as to whether White intentionally shot Cantrell. They note that' their expert, Dr. Emily Ward, found Cantrell’s injury to be consistent with an “execution” style homicide.
Janice Cantrell, individually and on behalf of the Estate of Antoine Cantrell, and on behalf of the minor children of the Estate of Antoine Cantrell, filed suit against White and the City of College Park on April 4, 2011. Her Complaint seeks to recover damages for excessive use of force in violation of the Fourth Amendment, wrongful death, and negligence on the part of the City of College Park in training and supervising White.
II. Legal Standard
Summary judgment is appropriate only when the pleadings, depositions, and affidavits submitted by the parties show no genuine issue of material fact exists and that the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.
III. Discussion
A. White’s Motion for Summary Judgment
1. Section 1983 Claim
In Count Three of their Complaint,’the Plaintiffs assert a claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against White,
Police officers may seek the protection of qualified immunity if they were acting within their discretionary authority at the time of the arrest.
White first argues that the Plaintiffs have failed to allege a Fourth Amendment violation because he accidentally shot Cantrell, and, according to the Defendant, an unintentional shooting is not a seizure under the Fourth Amendment. Relying on forensic evidence, the Plaintiffs contend that there is at least a question of fact as to whether the Defendant intended to shoot Cantrell. The Eleventh Circuit has not directly ruled on whether an unintentional shooting falls within the ambit of the Fourth Amendment.
Viewing the evidence in a light most favorable to the Plaintiffs, the Court concludes there is an issue of fact as to whether White intentionally shot Cantrell. As the Plaintiffs correctly point out in their Response Brief, only White witnessed the shooting. Both Fowler and Northcutt stated that they did not witness the shooting because they were exiting their patrol vehicles when it occurred.
Assuming, arguendo, that White intentionally shot Cantrell, the essential question becomes whether the Defendant’s actions were nevertheless reasonable under the Fourth Amendment. When assessing an excessive force claim, the Court must pay ‘“careful attention to the facts and circumstances’ of the case, ’including the severity of the crime at issue, whether the suspect poses an immediate threat to the safety of the officers or others, and whether he is actively resisting arrest or attempting to evade arrest by flight.’”
Here, viewing the evidence in a light most favorable to the Plaintiffs and ([raw-ing all reasonable inferences in their favor,
The Defendant responds by pointing out that it is undisputed that Cantrell was suspected of being involved in two serious crimes: assaulting Phellan Robinson and a domestic disturbance with Sara Varner.
Felio v. Hyatt is instructive in resolving the instant issue. There, the Eleventh Circuit addressed whether a police officer used excessive deadly force when he shot an unarmed man who was suspected of being involved in a domestic disturbance.
The Defendant then argues that he is entitled to qualified immunity. As noted above, White was clearly acting within his discretionary authority when he arrested Cantrell. Accordingly, the Plaintiffs have the burden of showing that Cantrell’s clearly established rights were violated. “A plaintiff can demonstrate that a right was clearly established in a few ways. He can, for instance, produce a materially similar case decided by the Supreme Court, [the Eleventh Circuit], or the highest court of the relevant state.”
The Eleventh Circuit and the Supreme Court have repeatedly held that the shooting of an unarmed suspect, who was not actively resisting an officer, is unreasonable under the Fourth Amendment.
White moves for summary judgment on the Plaintiffs’ state law claims, arguing that the Plaintiffs have failed to set forth a prima facie case for each claim. In their Complaint, the Plaintiffs state they are asserting claims for “false imprisonment, misappropriation of the name Alex White, criminal solicitation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and more.”
In response, White does not appear to specifically challenge whether the Plaintiffs have set forth a prima facie case for their wrongful death claim. Rather, White contends that he is entitled to official immunity. In Georgia, “[p]ublic agents are immune from liability for their discretionary acts unless they are done with malice or intent to injure.”
Here, as previously discussed, the Plaintiffs have raised a question of fact with regard to whether White intended to shoot Cantrell. Moreover, the Plaintiffs have raised a question of fact regarding whether Cantrell was actively resisting arrest
B. The City of College Park’s Motion for Summary Judgment
1. Section 1983 Claim
The Plaintiffs allege that the City of College Park is subject to § 1983 liability for White’s actions. Because a municipality is not liable through respondeat superior for the wrongful acts of its employees, to establish § 1983 liability against the City of College Park, the Plaintiffs must show that the constitutional deprivation resulted from a custom or policy of the City.
Here, the Plaintiffs’ allegations are insufficient to prove that the City of College Park was deliberately indifferent toward police misconduct. The Plaintiffs first allege that the City was on notice that White had a pattern of using excessive force. In support of this contention, they cite to three complaints of misconduct filed against White.
Next, the Plaintiffs allege five policies of the College Park Police Department and argue that these policies demonstrate “systemic deficiencies in its police department arising from the deliberate indifference of the City and its policymakers.”
1) Failure to train officers that citizens have the right to inquire of the officer(s) as to the purpose of their presence;
2) Failure to train officers that citizens have the right to keep the police out of their homes without a warrant unless there are exigent circumstances.
3) Failure to train officers in the proper tactics and methods of arrest and proper use of force therein;
4) Maintaining a constitutionally over-broad policy which permits officers to make forcibly detain [sic] a person under circumstances which are not Constitutionally permissible;
5) By engaging in a custom or practice of failing to conduct thorough, objective, and uniform investigations and evaluations of officer misconduct and incidents involving the use of force, with the result being that officers were led to believe that they could violate the Fourth Amendment with impunity.98
The first and second policies are irrelevant to the instant case. For the third policy, the City of College Park has presented evidence that contradicts the Plaintiffs’ .assertion. Specifically, the City has presented evidence that White received all state mandated use of force and firearms training, and that he completed an additional four hours of firearms and use of force training just two months before the incident in question.
2. State Law Claims
The Plaintiffs assert state law tort claims of negligent hiring. and wrongful death against the City of College Park. The City of College Park contends that both of the Plaintiffs’ claims lack merit. However, neither party addresses in then-respective briefs the issue, of, sovereign immunity.
IV. Conclusion
For these reasons, the Court DENIES the Defendant Wesley White’s Motion for Summary Judgment [Doe. 102] and GRANTS the Defendant the City of College Park’s Motion for Summary Judgment [Doc. 103],,
SO ORDERED, this 4 day of April, 2016.
. Statement of Material Facts in Supp. of Def. White’s Mot. for Summ. J. ¶¶ 4-5.
. Id.115.
. Id. ¶ 6.
. Id. 119.
. Id. ¶¶ 9-10.
. Id. ¶ 10.
. Id. ¶ 11.
. Id. ¶ 12.
. Id. ¶ 14.
. Id. ¶ 16,
. Id. ¶¶ 17-18.
. Id, ¶ 18,
. Id. ¶¶ 19-20.
. Id. ¶¶ 20-21.
. Id ¶ 23.
. Id ¶¶ 24-25.
. Id ¶ 27.
. Id. ¶ 26,
. Id, ¶27.
.Id. ¶29.
. Id. ¶ 36.
. Id ¶ 33.
. Id, ¶ 30.
. Id. ¶¶ 30, 32,
. Id. ¶ 32.
. Id,
. Pis.’ Br, in Opp'n to Def. White's Mot. for Summ, X, at 6,
. Id. at 13.
. Ward Dep. at 59-60.
. Statement of Material Facts in Supp. of Pis.’ Br. in Opp’n to Def. White’s Mot. for Surnm. J., at 6.
. In what appears to be an error in the Plaintiffs' Complaint, the Plaintiffs also assert claims for "false imprisonment, misappropriation of the name of Alex White, criminal solicitation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and more.” Comp. ¶ 4.
. The Defendants object to the Plaintiffs’ Sur-reply Briefs, which the Plaintiffs filed without seeking leave of the Court. [Docs. 116, 118]. Because the Plaintiffs’ Sur-reply Briefs are in violation of Local Rule 56.1(A), the Court will not consider them in resolving the present Motions for Summary Judgment. See N.D. Ga. Local R. 56.1(A).
. Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a).
. Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 158-59, 90 S.Ct. 1598, 26 L.Ed.2d 142 (1970).
. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323-24, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986).
. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 257, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986),
. Walker v. Darby, 911 F.2d 1573, 1577 (11th Cir. 1990).
. The Plaintiffs bring their claim against White as an individual and in his official capacity. However, a claim against an officer
. To the extent the Plaintiffs raise any constitutional claims under the Fourteenth Amendment, the Court grants the Defendants' Motions for Summary Judgment as to those claims. The Supreme Court has explicitly held that "all claims that law enforcement officers have used excessive — deadly or not — in the course of an arrest, investigatory stop, or other 'seizure' of a free citizen should be analyzed under the Fourth Amendment and its 'reasonableness standard,’ rather than under a 'substantive due process' approach.” Graham v. Connor, 490 U.S. 386, 395, 109 S.Ct. 1865, 104 L.Ed.2d 443 (1989).
. Lee v. Ferraro, 284 F.3d 1188, 1195 (11th Cir. 2002).
. Graham, 490 U.S. at 395-96, 109 S.Ct. 1865; see also Crenshaw v. Lister, 556 F.3d 1283, 1290 (11th Cir. 2009).
. Lee, 284 F.3d at 1197 (quoting Willingham v. Loughnan, 261 F.3d 1178, 1188 (11th Cir. 2001)).
. Crenshaw, 556 F.3d at 1290 (quoting Graham, 490 U.S. at 396, 109 S.Ct. 1865).
. Lee, 284 F.3d at 1193-94.
. See Pearson v. Callahan, 555 U.S. 223, 232, 129 S.Ct. 808, 172 L.Ed.2d 565 (2009).
. Humphrey v. Mabry, 482 F.3d 840, 847 (6th Cir. 2007) (emphasis in original).
. Speight v. Griggs, 13 F.Supp.3d 1298, 1312 (N.D.GA. 2013) ("The Eleventh Circuit has not decided whether or in what circumstances the purely accidental discharge of a firearm implicates the Fourth Amendment.”), vacated in pan per curiam, 620 Fed.Appx. 806 (11th Cir. 2015).
. Speight v. Griggs, 620 Fed.Appx. 806, 809 (11th Cir. 2015) (per curiam).
. See Crenshaw v. Lister, 556 F.3d 1283, 1289-90 (11th Cir. 2009) ("[I]t is clear that [the defendants] were both performing discretionary duties when pursuing and apprehending [the plaintiff].”).
. Statement of Material Facts in Supp. of Def. White’s Mot. for Summ. J. ¶ 32.
. Ward Dep. at 54.
. Id. at 48.
. See Speight, 620 Fed.Appx. at 810.
. Morton v. Kirkwood, 707 F.3d 1276, 1281 (11th Cir. 2013) (quoting Graham v. Connor, 490 U.S. 386, 396, 109 S.Ct. 1865, 104 L.Ed.2d 443 (1989)).
. Id.
. Graham, 490 U.S. at 396-97, 109 S.Ct. 1865.
. Pis.’ Br. in Opp’n to Def. White’s Mot. for Summ. X, at 13.
. Ward Dep. at 63.
. Id. at 59-60.
. Id. at 52.
. White Dep. at 70-71.
. Id. at 69-70.
. Statement of Material Facts in Supp. of Def. White's Mot. for Summ. X ¶¶ 4, 9.
. Id. ¶ 16.
. Morton v. Kirkwood, 707 F.3d 1276, 1281 (11th Cir. 2013).
. Felio v. Hyatt, 639 Fed.Appx. 604, 607, No. 14-15702, 2016 WL 308695, at *2 (11th Cir. Jan. 26, 2016) (per curiam).
. Id. at 608, 2016 WL 308695 at *3.
. Id.
. Id. at 609, 2016 WL 308695 at *4.
. Morton, 707 F.3d at 1282 (quoting Hoyt v. Cooks, 672 F.3d 972, 977 (11th Cir. 2012)).
. Holloman v. Harland, 370 F.3d 1252, 1277 (11th Cir. 2004).
. Morton, 707 F.3d at 1282 (quoting Mercado v. City of Orlando, 407 F.3d 1152, 1159 (11th Cir. 2005)).
. See, e.g., Tennessee v. Garner, 471 U.S. 1, 11, 105 S.Ct. 1694, 85 L.Ed.2d 1 (1985); Perez v. Suszczynski, 809 F.3d 1213, 1222 (2016).
. Felio, 639 Fed.Appx. at 609, 2016 WL 308695, at *4.
. Perez, 809 F.3d at 1223.
. Compl. ¶ 4.
. Id. ¶ 20.
. Id. ¶ 16.
. Taylor v. Waldo, 309 Ga.App. 108, 111, 709 S.E.2d 278 (2011).
. Valades v. Uslu, 301 Ga.App. 885, 889-91, 689 S.E.2d 338 (Ga.Ct.App. 2009).
. Jordan v. Mosley, 487 F.3d 1350, 1357 (11th Cir. 2007).
. Black v. Wigington, 811 F.3d 1259, 1266 (11th Cir. 2016) (quoting Adams v. Hazelwood, 271 Ga. 414, 414, 520 S.E.2d 896 (1999)).
. Porter v. Massarelli, 303 Ga.App. 91, 96, 692 S.E.2d 722 (2010) (quoting Kidd v. Coates, 271 Ga. 33, 34, 518 S.E.2d 124 (1999)).
. Id. (citing Kidd, 271 Ga. at 34, 518 S.E.2d 124).
. Id.
. See DeKalb Cnty. v. Bailey, 319 Ga.App. 278, 282-83, 736 S.E.2d 121 (2012).
. Gold v. City of Miami, 151 F.3d 1346, 1350 (11th Cir. 1998) (citing Monell v. Department of Social Servs., 436 U.S. 658, 691, 694-95, 98 S.Ct. 2018, 56 L.Ed.2d 611 (1978)).
. City of Canton v. Harris, 489 U.S. 378, 388, 109 S.Ct. 1197, 103 L.Ed.2d 412 (1989).
. Gold, 151 F.3d at 1350 (citing City of Canton, 489 U.S. at 389-91, 109 S.Ct. 1197).
. Id.; see also Church v. City of Huntsville, 30 F.3d 1332, 1345 (11th Cir. 1994) ("A municipality’s failure to correct the constitutionally offensive actions of its police department may rise to the level of a ‘custom or policy’ if the municipality tacitly authorizes these actions or displays deliberate indifference towards the police misconduct.” (quoting Brooks v. Scheib, 813 F.2d 1191, 1193 (11th Cir. 1987))).
. Gold, 151 F.3d at 1350.
. Pis.' Br. in Opp’n to Defs.’ Mots, for Summ. J„ Exs. C-E.
.Id. Exs. C-D.
. Id. Ex. E.
. See Brooks, 813 F.2d at 1193 ("Quite simply, there is no evidence that city officials were aware of past police misconduct.'1).
. Pis,' Br. in Opp’n to Def. City of College Park’s Mot. for Summ. J., at 8.
. Compl, ¶¶ 33-34.
. Id. ¶34.
. Statement of Material Facts in Supp. of Def. City of College Park’s Mot. for Summ. J. 4 13.
. Wright v. Sheppard, 919 F.2d 665, 674 (11th Cir. 1990) (finding no deliberate indifference where the plaintiff offered "no evidence of a history of widespread prior abuse... that would have put the [defendant] on notice of the need for improved training or supervision.'').
. See Board of Cnty. Comm'rs of Bryan Cty., Okl. v. Brown, 520 U.S. 397, 410, 117 S.Ct. 1382, 137 L.Ed.2d 626 (1997) (‘"[DJelib-erate indifference’ is a stringent standard of fault, requiring proof that a municipal actor disregarded a known or obvious consequence of his action.”).
. Brooks v. Scheib, 813 F.2d 1191, 1195 (11th Cir. 1987).
. It should be noted that the City of College Park did raise sovereign immunity as a defense in its Answer. [Doc. 4],
. O.C.G.A. § 36-33-1; see also Peeples v. City of Atlanta, 189 Ga.App. 888, 890, 377 S.E.2d 889 (1989).
. Scott v. Valdosta, 280 Ga.App. 481, 484, 634 S.E.2d 472 (2006).
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Janice CANTRELL v. Wesley WHITE individually and in his official capacity as a police officer of the City of College Park, Georgia
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published