2009 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 12-18-2009 

# H ol l y L . C ardy v . S t eve n D . B arnes P r e c e de nt i al or N on-P r e c e de nt i al : N on-P r e c e de nt i al D ocke t N o . 08-3519

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w . vi l l a nova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " H o l ly L . C ar dy v

. S t eve n D . B ar ne s " (2009). 2009 D e cisio n s . P ape r 78. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi l l a nova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2009/78NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT

_____________ N o. 08- 3519

_____________ HOL L Y L . CA RD Y

v. S T E VE N D. BA RN E S ; E RI C R . HE I L ; CH AD F IN D L A Y ; C IT Y O F F R A N K L IN , P E N N S Y L V A N IA ; RY AN ASH BA UG H; BO RO UG H O F S UG AR CREEK

CH AD F I NDL AY, A ppel l ant

_______________ O n A p p ea l from the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt f o r th e W e ste rn D istric t o f P e n n sy lv a n ia ( D . C . N o. 07- cv- 106) D istric t Ju d g e : H o n o ra b le S e a n J. M c L a u g h lin

_______________ Subm i t t ed U nderT hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

D ece m ber17, 2009 B e f o re : S L O V IT E R , J O R D A N a n d G R E E N B E R G , C i r cui tJudges .

Fi l ed: D ece m ber18, 2009

_______________ OPI NI ON O F THE COURT

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y of P hi l a. , 2 8 8 F . 3 d 5 7 , 6 1 (3d C ir . 2 0 0 2 ) ( quot i ng Mitch e ll v. Fo rs y th , 4 7 2 U .S . 5 1 1 , 5 3 0 (1 9 8 5 )) . I n t hi s cas e, t he ac count s of the i nci dentunder l y i ng t he cl ai m of exc es s i ve for ce a nd t he compet i ng as s er t i on of qual i fi ed i m m uni t yr ai s e mat er i al i s s ues of fa ct . A s expl ai ned by th e D istric t C o u rt: W e hav e an all eged ey ew i t ness . . . [a]nd h e t est i fi ed thatt he p l ai nti ff w as – th a t sh e w a s p ick e d u p a p p ro x im a telya f o o t o f f th e g ro u n d a n d v io len tly s l amm ed t o t he gr ound. A tw hi ch t i m e he c l ai m ed he a udi bl yhear d her ankl e bone s nap. . . . I n contr as t , O ffi cerFi ndl ayt es t i fi ed thathe per for m ed a contr ol l ed t akedow n m aneuve r , w hi ch di d noti nvol ve vi ol ent l ys l amm i ng t he pl ai nt i ff t o t he gr ound as s he cl ai m ed. B uti nvol ved a tw i s t i ng pr ocedur e w her ebyt he pl ai nt i ff w as t aken dow n t o hers t om ach. (A pp . atA 6-A 7. ) Latert he C ou rtst at ed, “t he fu nd am ental fl aw i n the defen dan t s’ q u a lif ie d im m u n ity a n a lysis is th a t [ it is ] b a s e d u p o n th e f a c tu a l p re m is e o r p re d ic a te ... t hatt he t akedow n occurr ed i n a contr ol l ed and non- vi ol entm anner . T hatcont ent i on, h o w ev er, . . . is ho tl yd ispu ted b ythe p lai n ti ff. ” (A p p . at A 1 2 -A 1 3 . ) B eca us e ther e i s a funda m ent al fac tual di s put e pert ai ni ng t o t he ques t i on of q u a lifie d im m u n ity , w e lac k ju risd ictio n a n d , ac c o rd in g ly , w ill d ism iss th e a p p e a l.