IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS 

SAN ANTONIO DIVISION

JACK MILLER, ANNABEL CAMPBELL, §

MATTHEW PESINA, LISA PESINA, M.P., a §

Minor and J.G., a Minor, §

§

Plaintiffs, §

§

V. §

§

CHIEF JOSEPH SALVAGGIO, In His §

Individual and Official Capacities, § CIVIL ACTION NO. 20-cv-00642 JKP

OFFICER JIM WELLS, In His Individual and §

Official Capacities, OFFICER ANDERSON, §

In His Individual and Official Capacities, §

OFFICER SAUCEDO, In His Individual and §

Official Capacities, OFFICER J. VASQUEZ, §

In His Individual and Official Capacities, §

STATE POLICE OFFICER JOHN DOE, In His §

In His Individual and Official Capacities, §

BEXAR COUNTY MAGISTRATE, In Their §

Individual and Official Capacities, §

KIRBY POLICE DEPARTMENT and §

LEON VALLEY POLICE DEPARTMENT, §

Jointly and Severally, §

§

Defendants. §

__________________________________ §

DEFENDANT CHIEF SALVAGGIO AND

OFFICERS WELLS, ANDERSON, SAUCEDO AND VASQUEZ’ MOTION TO DISMISS

TO THE HONORABLE UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE JASON PULLIUM:

NOW COMES CHIEF JOSEPH SALVAGGIO, and OFFICERS JIM WELLS, ANDERSON,

SAUCEDO and J. VASQUEZ,Individually, Defendantsin the above entitled and numbered cause, and 

files this their Motion to Dismiss pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6) FEDERAL RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE

and in support thereof would respectfully show unto the Court the following:

Case 5:20-cv-00642-JKP Document 5 Filed 06/26/20 Page 1 of 6
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jack Miller, et al v. Chief Joseph Salvaggio, et al Civil Action No. 5:20-cv-00642-JKP

Defendant Officers’ Motion to Dismiss Page 2

I.

BACKGROUND

Plaintiff Jack Miller is a zoilist who parades as a First Amendment Auditor in search of 

controversy. Plaintiff Miller by his own pleading states that on May 31, 2018, he entered the Leon 

Valley City Hall wearing a Holster and a “Fake Gun” on his hip. The City of Leon Valley has a 

Municipal Court located within the City Hall Building and said Court was in session on the date 

in question. Under TEXAS PENAL CODE, Chapter 46, § 46.03, Places Weapons Prohibited, the 

statute reads as follows:

§ 46.03 - Places Weapons Prohibited.

“A person commits an offense if the person intentionally, knowingly 

or recklessly possesses or goes with a firearm, location restricted 

knife, club or prohibited weapon...

(3) On the premises of any government court or offices utilized 

by the Court.

Plaintiff claims that Defendant Officers arrived at Plaintiff Miller’s home with a search 

warrant for the following: “a black semi-automatic handgun, a go pro camera and any cell phone 

media devices used to record, computer desktop or lap top and photographic evidence.” The 

search warrant was signed by a Magistrate Judge. Plaintiff’s Complaint erroneous assumes that 

all officers knew that Plaintiff was carrying a “fake gun” as he entered the City of Leon Valley 

City Hall / Municipal Court Building. Plaintiffs allege: Count I and II - Violation of the First 

Amendment; Count III – Fourth Amendment violation of false arrest; Count IV – Excessive force 

allegation and County V – Malicious Prosecution. 

Defendants CHIEF JOSEPH SALVAGGIO, and OFFICERS WELLS, ANDERSON, SAUCEDO and 

VASQUEZ, assert their entitlement to qualified immunity under both prongs of the qualified 

immunity standard. Defendants actions did not violate Plaintiffs’ constitutional rights as alleged 

Case 5:20-cv-00642-JKP Document 5 Filed 06/26/20 Page 2 of 6
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jack Miller, et al v. Chief Joseph Salvaggio, et al Civil Action No. 5:20-cv-00642-JKP

Defendant Officers’ Motion to Dismiss Page 3

in Plaintiffs’ Complaint. Defendants CHIEF JOSEPH SALVAGGIO, and OFFICERS WELLS,

ANDERSON, SAUCEDO and VASQUEZ, further assert that their actions were objectively reasonable 

under the totality of circumstances. 

II.

FEDERAL RULE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE 12(b)(6) authorizes dismissal of a complaint for 

failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted. Review is limited to the contents of the 

complaint and matters properly subject to judicial notice. In analyzing a motion to dismiss for 

failure to state a claim, the court accepts all well pleaded facts as true, viewing them in the light 

most favorable to the plaintiff. To survive a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, the plaintiff must 

plead, “enough facts to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.” Bell Atl. Corp. v. 

Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007). A claim has facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads 

factual content that allows the Court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable 

for the misconduct alleged. Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009). The plaintiff must do 

more than recite the formalistic elements of a cause of action. Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 

U.S. 544, 556 (2007). The tenet that a court must accept as true all of the allegations contained 

in the complaint is inapplicable to legal conclusions and courts are not bound to accept as true a 

legal conclusion couched as a factual allegation. Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009). 

Thus, although all reasonable inferences will be resolved in favor of the plaintiff, the plaintiff must 

plead specific facts, not merely conclusory allegations. When a complaint fails to adequately state 

a claim such deficiency should be exposed at the point of minimum expenditure of time and money 

by the parties and the court. Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 558 (2007). 

Case 5:20-cv-00642-JKP Document 5 Filed 06/26/20 Page 3 of 6
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jack Miller, et al v. Chief Joseph Salvaggio, et al Civil Action No. 5:20-cv-00642-JKP

Defendant Officers’ Motion to Dismiss Page 4

The case at bar concerns a felony stop which occurred on May 11, 2017 on West Cesar Chavez 

Boulevard and South Brazos Street near Lanier High School. Narcotics Officers had the area under 

surveillance concerning the residents where Lisa Lara and Ralph Trejo resided selling narcotics. 

Plaintiff Jimmy Martinez was driving a vehicle wherein both Lara and Trejo were passengers. 

When the vehicle stopped in front of Lara and Trejo’s residence known for selling narcotics, a 

felony stop was conducted by San Antonio Police Officers. Trejo had an outstanding felony 

warrant for a parole violation for possession of controlled substance at the time of the stop. 

Arrested person Lara had Heroin and Plaintiff Martinez possessed Methamphetamines which were 

discovered pursuant to the felony stop. Plaintiff Martinez pled guilty to the possession of 

Methamphetamines and was sentenced to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Plaintiff 

Martinez complains that during the course of the felony stop, that officers had their weapons drawn 

and his vehicle was blocked by San Antonio Police vehicles during the course of the felony arrest. 

Plaintiff’s allegations fail to state cause of action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, as a matter of law. 

Alfred v. Collins, 2006 WL 492355 (S.D. Tex. Feb. 28, 2006)(not published); United States v. 

Coleman, 969 F.2d 126, 131 (5th Cir. 1992).

III.

Defendant CHIEF JOSEPH SALVAGGIO, in his Individual Capacity asserts qualified 

immunity for Plaintiff’s claims under Section 1983. Supervisory officials are not liable for the 

actions of their subordinates on any theory of vicarious liability. Roberts v. Shreveport, 397 F.3d 

287, 292 (5th Cir. 2005). 

Plaintiffs’ Complaint erroneously assumes that all defendant officers were aware of the 

“fake gun,” however, Plaintiffs’ own pleadings allege a violation of 46.03 of Places Weapons 

Prohibited wherein Plaintiff Miller admitted to going to the City of Leon Valley Municipal Court 

Case 5:20-cv-00642-JKP Document 5 Filed 06/26/20 Page 4 of 6
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jack Miller, et al v. Chief Joseph Salvaggio, et al Civil Action No. 5:20-cv-00642-JKP

Defendant Officers’ Motion to Dismiss Page 5

located at the City Hall of the City of Leon Valley with a “fake gun” in a holster. Defendants 

CHIEF JOSEPH SALVAGGIO, and OFFICERS WELLS, ANDERSON, SAUCEDO and VASQUEZ, assert 

that Plaintiffs’ Complaint fails to state a cause of action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for First 

Amendment violations, Fourth Amendment violation for false arrest or excessive force and 

malicious prosecution, as alleged. Plaintiffs’ claim of excessive force fails on the pleadings since 

the officers in question were executing a valid search warrant. In Strickland v. City of Crenshaw, 

Miss., 114 F.Supp.3d 400 (N.D. Miss. 2015), the Court dismissed plaintiff’s claims for excessive 

force wherein the officers were executing a search warrant and pointed their weapons at adults and 

minors inside the residence. The Court held that the pointing of weapons during the execution of 

a search warrant was not a constitutional violation and that plaintiff’s allegations failed to 

overcome the qualified immunity defense raised by the individual defendants. Id. at 417. The 

Court analyzed that certain injuries are so slight that they will never satisfy the injury element of 

the excessive force analysis. Glenn v. City of Tyler, 242 F.3d 307, 314 (5th Cir. 2001). 

Defendants CHIEF JOSEPH SALVAGGIO, AND OFFICERS WELLS, ANDERSON, SAUCEDO 

and VASQUEZ, assert their entitlement to qualified immunity for Plaintiff’s claims under the First 

Amendment, Fourth Amendment for false arrest, Excessive Force and Malicious Prosecution. 

Plaintiff Miller’s own actions as alleged in his complaint, gave rise to probable cause for carrying 

a weapon on the premises of a government court under § 46.03 of the Texas Penal Code. Plaintiff’s 

Complaint fails to state why the protective shroud of qualified immunity should not be granted to 

the individual officers based on the facts alleged in Plaintiffs’ Complaint. Furthermore, under the 

second prong of the qualified immunity analysis, Defendants assert that their conduct was 

objectively reasonable from a totality of the circumstances. Mullinex v. Luna, 577 U.S. ____ 136 

S.Ct. 305, 308 (2015). 

Case 5:20-cv-00642-JKP Document 5 Filed 06/26/20 Page 5 of 6
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jack Miller, et al v. Chief Joseph Salvaggio, et al Civil Action No. 5:20-cv-00642-JKP

Defendant Officers’ Motion to Dismiss Page 6

WHEREFORE, PREMISES CONSIDERED Defendants, CHIEF JOSEPH SALVAGGIO,

and OFFICERS WELLS, ANDERSON, SAUCEDO and VASQUEZ, pray that their Motion to Dismiss be 

in all things granted and for such other and further relief as they may show themselves justly

entitled.

Respectfully submitted, 

LAW OFFICES OF CHARLES S. FRIGERIO 

A Professional Corporation 

Riverview Towers 

111 Soledad, Suite 840 

San Antonio, Texas 78205 

(210) 271-7877 

(210) 271-0602 Telefax 

BY: /s/ Charles S. Frigerio 

CHARLES S. FRIGERIO 

SBN: 07477500

LEAD COUNSEL IN CHARGE 

HECTOR X. SAENZ 

SBN: 17514850 

ATTORNEYS FOR CHIEF JOSEPH

SALVAGGIO, AND OFFICERS JIM WELLS,

ANDERSON, SAUCEDO AND J. VASQUEZ,

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I hereby certify that on the 26th day of June, 2020, I electronically filed the foregoing 

DEFENDANTS CHIEF JOSEPH SALVAGGIO, and OFFICERS WELLS, ANDERSON, SAUCEDO and

VASQUEZ’ Motion to Dismiss with the Clerk of the Court using the CM/ECF system which will 

send notification of such filing to the CM/ECF Participant as follows : 

Mr. Solomon M. Radner

Excolo Law, PLLC\

26700 Lahser Road, Suite 401

Southfield, MI 48033 Email: sradner@excololaw.com

/s/ Charles S. Frigerio 

CHARLES S. FRIGERIO 

Case 5:20-cv-00642-JKP Document 5 Filed 06/26/20 Page 6 of 6