United States Court of Appeals

for the Fifth Circuit

No. 21-30044

Tayla Greene, Individually and as Administrator of 

the Ronald Greene Estate, 

Plaintiff—Appellee,

versus

Dakota DeMoss; John Peters; John Clary; Floyd 

McElroy; Kory York, 

Defendants—Appellants.

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Western District of Louisiana

USDC No. 3:20-CV-578

Before Richman, Chief Judge, and Clement and Duncan, Circuit 

Judges.

Per Curiam:*

This case arises out of the tragic death of Ronald Greene during a 

traffic stop. Tayla Greene, on her own behalf and as administrator of her 

father’s estate, filed an action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against the seven 

* Pursuant to 5th Circuit Rule 47.5, the court has determined that this 

opinion should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited 

circumstances set forth in 5th Circuit Rule 47.5.4.

United States Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit

FILED

August 29, 2022

Lyle W. Cayce

Clerk

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officers involved. She sued for excessive force, bystander liability, and 

Louisiana state law battery. The officers moved to dismiss under Rule 

12(b)(6) on qualified immunity and inadequate pleading grounds. They also 

moved under Rule 12(e) for a more definite statement. The district court 

denied both motions, concluding that Fourth Amendment law clearly 

established the unconstitutionality of the officers’ alleged misconduct, and 

that Ms. Greene pleaded her claims with enough specificity. Five officers 

appeal. We affirm.

I

Mr. Greene was driving on U.S. Highway 80 in Monroe, Louisiana 

around 12 a.m. on May 10, 2019. As alleged in the First Amended Complaint,

Trooper Dakota DeMoss attempted to stop Mr. Greene for an unspecified 

violation. Mr. Greene sped away, and a pursuit ensued. He eventually

crashed into a wooded area. Mr. Greene’s vehicle was only moderately

damaged, and he was uninjured.

DeMoss and Master Trooper Chris Hollingsworth immediately 

arrived at the scene. Shortly after, Captain John Peters, Lieutenant John 

Clary, Sergeant Floyd McElroy, Master Trooper Kory York, and Deputy 

Sheriff Christopher Harpin joined as well. Mr. Greene exited his vehicle 

without assistance and began to apologize to the officers, but they pinned him 

to the ground. Mr. Greene begged the officers to stop, continuing to 

apologize repeatedly. Although Mr. Greene had surrendered, showed no

resistance, and posed no threat, each of the seven officers then “beat, 

smothered, and choked” Mr. Greene. The officers also tased him at least 

three times, although it is unclear who used the weapon because the 

Louisiana State Police has not produced the body–camera or dashboard–

camera footage or other relevant records.

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The alleged attack left Mr. Greene “beaten, bloodied, and in cardiac 

arrest.” At 12:29 a.m., an officer called for an ambulance. When it arrived 

at 12:51 a.m., Mr. Greene was covered in blood with multiple taser barbs 

attached to his body. The paramedics transported Mr. Greene to the 

hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The hospital listed his cause of 

death as cardiac arrest, and he was also diagnosed with an unspecified head 

injury. An autopsy later revealed multiple signs of recent trauma, including

blunt-force injuries to the head and face, together with facial lacerations, 

abrasions, and contusions.

Plaintiff–Appellee Tayla Greene filed an action under 42 U.S.C.

§ 1983 against the seven officers involved in the stop, asserting claims of 

excessive force and bystander liability. She also asserted Louisiana state law

claims against the officers for battery. Five officers—DeMoss, York, 

McElroy, Clary, and Peters (the “officers”)—moved to dismiss on qualified 

immunity and inadequate pleading grounds. They also moved for a more 

definite statement in the alternative.

The district court adopted the magistrate judge’s Report and 

Recommendation denying the officers’ motions. First, on the § 1983 

excessive force claims, the court concluded that qualified immunity is 

inappropriate because every reasonable officer would have known that he

could not beat, smother, and choke an unresisting suspect who was subdued 

and posing no threat. Second, on the § 1983 bystander liability claims, the 

court similarly denied qualified immunity because every reasonable officer 

would have understood that he could not stand by while other officers 

engaged in excessive force. Third, on the state law claims, the courtreasoned 

that the Louisiana excessive force inquiry mirrors its Fourth Amendment 

counterpart, so Ms. Greene’s state law claims were plausible “for the same 

reasons.” Lastly, it rejected the motions for a more definite statement, 

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concluding that the claims are “straight-forward and well-defined.” The 

officers timely appealed.

II

The officers make three arguments on appeal. First, they argue that 

they are entitled to qualified immunity on Ms. Greene’s § 1983 claims of 

excessive force and bystander liability. Second, they argue that Ms. Greene 

did not adequately plead her Louisiana state law battery claims. Third, one 

officer maintains that the district court incorrectly denied his motion for a 

more definite statement. We address each argument in turn.

A

We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 to review a district 

court’s denial of qualified immunity as a “collateral order capable of 

immediate review.”1

 “[R]eview of the denial of a motion to dismiss 

predicated on a defense of qualified immunity is de novo.”2 Our jurisdiction 

is limited to questions of law, not fact.3

Qualified immunity “ensure[s] that before they are subjected to suit, 

officers are on notice their conduct is unlawful.”4 The defense “attaches 

when an official’s conduct does not violate clearly established statutory or 

constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would have known.”5

 We

engage in a two-step inquiry: first, we ask whether there was a statutory or 

1 Club Retro, L.L.C. v. Hilton, 568 F.3d 181, 193-4 (5th Cir. 2009).

2 Lincoln v. Barnes, 855 F.3d 297, 300-01 (5th Cir. 2017).

3 Id. at 300 (quoting Club Retro, 568 F.3d at 194).

4 Hope v. Pelzer, 536 U.S. 730, 739 (2002) (quoting Saucier v. Katz, 533 U.S. 194, 

206 (2001)).

5 Rivas-Villegas v. Cortesluna, 595 U.S. __, 142 S. Ct. 4, 7 (2021) (per curiam) 

(quoting White v. Pauly, 580 U.S. 73, __, 137 S. Ct. 548, 551 (2017) (per curiam)).

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constitutional violation based on the alleged facts; second, we ask if the 

defendant’s actions violated clearly established law that every reasonable 

person would have known.6 The two steps may be performed in any order.7

Although the officers raise a qualified immunity defense in form, in 

substance they primarily argue that Ms. Greene failed to plead enough factual 

content under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8 to state a plausible claim for 

relief. Qualified immunity “adds a wrinkle” to the burden plaintiffs carry 

when stating a § 1983 claim.8 If a defendant asserts qualified immunity, the 

plaintiff “must plead specific facts that both allow the court to draw the 

reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the harm he has alleged 

and that defeat a qualified immunity defense with equal specificity.”9 This 

additional burden on the plaintiff at the pleading stage recognizes that “there 

is an interest in qualified immunity entering a lawsuit ‘at the earliest possible 

stage of litigation.’”10

Qualified immunity does not heighten the Rule 8 pleading standard, 

however.

11 “Section 1983 claims implicating qualified immunity are subject 

to the same Rule 8 pleading standard set forth in Twombly and Iqbal as all 

other claims . . . .”12 Rule 8(a)(2) requires a complaint to include a “short 

and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief

6 Tucker v. City of Shreveport, 998 F.3d 165, 172 (5th Cir. 2021).

7 Pearson v. Callahan, 555 U.S. 223, 236 (2009).

8 Arnold v. Williams, 979 F.3d 262, 266 (5th Cir. 2020).

9 Backe v. LeBlanc, 691 F.3d 645, 648 (5th Cir. 2012) (emphasis added).

10 Arnold, 979 F.3d at 267 (quoting Westfall v. Luna, 903 F.3d 534, 542 (5th Cir. 

2018)).

11 Id.

12 Id.

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. . . .”13 Plaintiffs must allege “sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to 

‘state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’”14 A claim is facially 

plausible if the facts allow the court “to draw the reasonable inference that 

the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.”15 Although we must 

accept the complaint’s factual allegations, we do “not accept as true 

conclusory allegations, unwarranted factual inferences, or legal 

conclusions.”16 “Threadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action” 

are similarly insufficient.17

As a preliminary matter, we first address DeMoss’s argument that 

Ms. Greene’s allegations are subject to a heightened pleading standard. He 

contends that because he asserted qualified immunity in response to Ms. 

Greene’s original complaint, her subsequent amended complaint must exceed 

Rule 8’s short-and-plain-statement standard. That is incorrect. Granted, 

when an answer or motion to dismiss raises qualified immunity, the district 

court “may then, in its discretion, insist that a plaintiff file a reply tailored 

to” that answer or motion to dismiss.18 In such circumstances, Rule 8(d)(1)’s

“simple, concise, and direct” pleading standard, not Rule 8(a)(2), applies to 

the reply.19 Here, however, the district court did not order a reply to the 

13 Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2).

14 Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 

550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007)).

15 Arnold, 979 F.3d at 266 (quoting Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678).

16 Id. (quoting Gentilello v. Rege, 627 F.3d 540, 544 (5th Cir. 2010)).

17 Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678.

18 Anderson v. Valdez, 845 F.3d 580, 590 (5th Cir. 2016) (emphasis and alterations 

omitted) (quoting Schultea v. Wood, 47 F.3d 1427, 1433-34 (5th Cir. 1995)).

19 Id. (quoting Schuleta, 47 F.3d at 1433, regarding what is FED. R. CIV. P. 8(d)(1)

in the latest edition of the Rules).

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defendants’ motions to dismiss. Ms. Greene amended her complaint, 

keeping Rule 8(a)(2) as the proper standard.20

With the standard set, we turn to evaluate Ms. Greene’s excessive 

force and bystander liability claims.

1

“[E]xcessive force claims arising from an arrest or investigatory stop 

invoke the protection provided by the Fourth Amendment . . . against 

unreasonable seizure.”21 Plaintiffs must show “(1) an injury, (2) which 

resulted directly and only from a use of force that was clearly excessive, and 

(3) the excessiveness of which was clearly unreasonable.”22 Reasonableness 

“requires a careful balancing of ‘the nature and quality of the intrusion on 

the individual’s Fourth Amendment interests’ against the countervailing 

governmental interests at stake.”23 It is “long . . . established” in this circuit 

that “[o]fficers engage in excessive force when they physically strike a 

suspect who is not resisting arrest.”24

As to qualified immunity, the officers do not contest that the law 

prohibiting their alleged excessive force was clearly established. The officers 

instead urge that Ms. Greene did not plead her excessive force claims with 

sufficient specificity under Rule 8. All their arguments fall short.

20 See Valdez, 845 F.3d at 588, 590.

21 Tucker v. City of Shreveport, 998 F.3d 165, 171 (5th Cir. 2021) (internal quotations 

omitted).

22 Griggs v. Brewer, 841 F.3d 308, 312 (5th Cir. 2016) (citing Poole v. City of 

Shreveport, 691 F.3d 624, 628 (5th Cir. 2012)).

23 Graham v. Connor, 490 U.S. 386, 396 (1989) (quoting Tennessee v. Garner, 471 

U.S. 1, 8 (1985)).

24 Joseph ex rel. Estate of Joseph v. Bartlett, 981 F.3d 319, 342 (5th Cir. 2020).

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First, they contend that Ms. Greene made only “copy and paste” 

allegations in her amended complaint. But the officers do not cite authority 

suggesting that identical, individual allegations are inherently improper. To 

the contrary, identical allegations do not necessarily defeat an otherwise 

sufficient pleading. As the Ninth Circuit recently held, a “good claim against 

one defendant d[oes] not become inadequate simply because a co-defendant 

was alleged to have committed the same wrongful acts.”25

Second, the officers argue that it is “implausible” or “inconceivable” 

that they acted identically. This mistakes the proper inquiry under Iqbal; to 

survive a motion to dismiss, a plaintiff need only plead “sufficient factual 

matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a claim to relief that is plausible on its 

face.’”26 In other words, we evaluate the plausibility of claims.

27 The 

officers ask us to do the opposite. They contend that Ms. Greene’s 

allegations are not credible because identical actions are factually unlikely, 

but we lack jurisdiction to entertain their argument.28

Third, the officers argue that Ms. Greene’s allegations amount to an 

improper formulaic recitation of the elements of excessive force. But Ms. 

Greene substantiates her claims. The Amended Complaint alleges that each 

officer “beat, smothered, and choked” Mr. Greene after he was “pinned . . . 

down on the ground . . . begging the officers to stop, and repeatedly saying 

‘I’m sorry.’” The beating left Mr. Greene “unresponsive,” “covered in 

blood,” and “in cardiac and respiratory arrest.” An autopsy also “found 

25 United States ex rel. Silingo v. WellPoint, Inc., 904 F.3d 667, 677 (9th Cir. 2018)

(discussing “collective allegations” in the context of Rule 9(b)).

26 Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 

550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007)).

27 Id.

28 Ramirez v. Escajeda, 921 F.3d 497, 501 (5th Cir. 2019).

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multiple signs of recent trauma, blunt force injuries to the head and face, 

facial lacerations, facial abrasions, facial contusions, scalp lacerations, blunt 

force injuries to the extremities, and abrasions and contusions over the left 

and right knees.” Ms. Greene’s allegations do not formulaically recite the 

injury, causation, and unreasonableness requirements of an excessive force 

claim.

29 She provides sufficient factual detail to put the officers on notice of 

their alleged wrongdoing.

Finally, the officers argue that the district court failed to evaluate 

qualified immunity separately for each officer. When officers’ actions are 

materially indistinguishable, however, we require only separate 

consideration, not separate analysis.30 The district court properly considered 

each officer’s actions.

2

“[A]n officer who is present at the scene and does not take reasonable 

measures to protect a suspect from another officer’s use of excessive force 

may be liable under [§] 1983.”31 The elements of a successful bystander 

liability claim require that an officer “(1) knew a fellow officer was violating 

an individual’s constitutional rights, (2) was present at the scene of the 

constitutional violation, (3) had a reasonable opportunity to prevent the harm 

but nevertheless, (4) chose not to act.”32 “Bystander liability requires more 

29 Griggs v. Brewer, 841 F.3d 308, 312 (5th Cir. 2016) (citing Poole v. City of 

Shreveport, 691 F.3d 624, 628 (5th Cir. 2012)) (“[A] plaintiff must show (1) an injury, 

(2) which resulted directly and only from a use of force that was clearly excessive, and 

(3) the excessiveness of which was clearly unreasonable.”).

30 Meadours v. Ermel, 483 F.3d 417, 422 n.3 (5th Cir. 2007).

31 Carroll v. Ellington, 800 F.3d 154, 177 (5th Cir. 2015) (quoting Hale v. Townley, 

45 F.3d 914, 919 (5th Cir. 1995)).

32 Joseph ex rel. Estate of Joseph v. Bartlett, 981 F.3d 319, 343 (5th Cir. 2020).

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than mere presence in the vicinity of the violation; ‘[courts] also consider 

whether an officer “acquiesced in” the alleged constitutional violation.’”33

The officers argue that qualified immunity applies because they did 

not have notice that failing to intervene while a fellow officer engages in 

excessive force is unconstitutional. That is not so. In May 2019 the law was 

“clearly established . . . that an officer [can] be liable as a bystander in a case 

involving excessive force if he knew a constitutional violation was taking 

place and had a reasonable opportunity to prevent the harm.”34 Based on the 

alleged facts that we must take as true, we conclude that any reasonable 

officer would have known that his failure to intervene over a period of almost 

thirty minutes or more while his fellow officers beat an unresisting suspect 

offends the Constitution.

35

Drawing all inferences in Ms. Greene’s favor, we also conclude that

she pleaded enough factual content to state a plausible bystander liability 

claim against each officer.

36 Under the first element, all likely knew that a 

fellow officer was violating Mr. Greene’s constitutional rights. Indeed, with 

each officer’s personal participation in the excessive force, it is reasonable to 

infer that they each knew about the others’ unconstitutional conduct. 

Second, Ms. Greene pleaded that each officer was present at the scene of the 

beating. Third, because the beating occurred over an alleged span of twentynine to fifty-one minutes, it is also reasonable to infer that each officer had an 

33 Id. (quoting Whitley v. Hanna, 726 F.3d 631, 647 (5th Cir. 2013)).

34 Hamilton v. Kindred, 845 F.3d 659, 663 (5th Cir. 2017).

35 See Joseph, 981 F.3d at 342 (“Darden repeated what had long been established in 

our circuit: Officers engage in excessive force when they physically strike a suspect who is 

not resisting arrest.”).

36 See Arnold v. Williams, 979 F.3d 262, 266 (5th Cir. 2020) (quoting Ashcroft v. 

Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009)).

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opportunity to intervene during that window. Fourth, Ms. Greene alleges 

that each officer “watched” as the other officers used excessive force, again 

reasonably permitting an inference that they chose not to act.

B

Under Louisiana law, “the physical attack of a private citizen by a 

police officer absent a valid arrest constitutes a battery.”37 “Louisiana’s 

excessive force tort mirrors its federal constitutional counterpart.”38 The 

pertinent factors for assessing excessive force under Louisiana law align with 

those under the Fourth Amendment.

39

The district court concluded that because the two inquiries are 

similar, for the same reasons Ms. Greene adequately pleaded her § 1983 

claims, she alleged sufficient facts for plausible Louisiana battery claims as 

well. We agree. Because the factors are similar and the officers raise identical 

37 Ross v. Sheriff of Lafourche Parish, 479 So. 2d 506, 510 (La. Ct. App. 1stCir. 1985).

38 Deville v. Marcantel, 567 F.3d 156, 172 (5th Cir. 2009) (per curiam).

39 Compare Kyle v. City of New Orleans, 353 So. 2d 969, 973 (La. 1977) (listing “the 

known character of the arrestee, the risks and dangers faced by the officers, the nature of 

the offense involved, the chance of the arrestee’s escape if the particular means are not 

employed, the existence of alternative methods of arrest, the physical size, strength, and 

weaponry of the officers as compared to the arrestee, and the exigencies of the moment” 

as the pertinent factors under a Louisiana excessive force claim), with Graham v. Connor, 

490 U.S. 386, 396 (1989) (listing “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” as the pertinent factors under a 

§ 1983 excessive force claim).

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arguments to those in their § 1983 discussion, Ms. Greene pleaded enough 

factual content to survive a motion to dismiss her Louisiana battery claims.

C

Lastly, York maintains that he is entitled to a more definite statement 

under Rule 12(e). But we lack jurisdiction to entertain an appeal of a Rule 

12(e) denial. It is not a final judgment under 28 U.S.C. § 1291. It is not an 

interlocutory order subject to immediate appeal under 28 U.S.C. § 1292. 

Nor is it a collateral order: it is not a conclusive decision resolving important 

questions divorced from the merits that is effectively unreviewable on appeal 

from the final judgment.40 Without jurisdiction, we do not address the Rule 

12(e) issue.

* * *

The district court’s order is AFFIRMED.

40 See Mohawk Indus., Inc. v. Carpenter, 558 U.S. 100, 106 (2009) (quoting Swint v. 

Chambers Cnty. Comm’n, 514 U.S. 35, 42 (1995)).

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