F I L E D

United States Court of Appeals

Tenth Circuit

AUG 30 2000

PATRICK FISHER

Clerk

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT

CURTIS HENRY, 

Plaintiff,

and

LELA HENRY, as Co-Executor of

the Estate of Curtis Henry, Jr.,

deceased, 

Plaintiff-Appellant, 

v.

BOARD OF COUNTY

COMMISSIONERS,

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY,

KANSAS, a county and/or municipal

corporation; THE CITY OF

LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS; CITY

OF LANSING, KANSAS; NFN

WEEKS, individually and as Mayor

of Lansing, Kansas; KENNETH

BARNARD, individually and as

Mayor of Lansing, Kansas; NFN

DAVINSKY, individually and as

Chairman of Leavenworth County

Commissioners; HERBERT F. NYE,

individually and in his official

capacity as Sheriff, Leavenworth

County, Kansas; CHARLIE YATES,

Sgt.; EDWARD CUMMINGS;

MICHAEL WEHMEYER;

WILLIAM K. EUSTICE; JOHN A.

DUNCANSON, Lt., individually and

in their official capacity as Deputy

No. 99-3309

(D.C. No. 98-CV-2476-KHV)

(D. Kan.)
* This order and judgment is not binding precedent, except under the

doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, and collateral estoppel. The court

generally disfavors the citation of orders and judgments; nevertheless, an order

and judgment may be cited under the terms and conditions of 10th Cir. R. 36.3. 

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Sheriff, Leavenworth County,

Kansas; ALFRED F. GRENIER; LEE

DOEHRING, individually and in his

official capacity as Chief of Police,

City of Leavenworth, Kansas;

MICHAEL SMITH, individually and

in his official capacity as Chief of

Police, City of Lansing, Kansas;

S. HOBBS, #1506, individually and

in his official capacity as member of

the City of Lansing, Kansas Police

Department; S. WAYMAN;

R. LIVENGOOD, individually and in

their official capacity as members of

the City of Lansing, Kansas Police

Department; LEAVENWORTH

COUNTY EMERGENCY MEDICAL

SERVICES, 

Defendants-Appellees.

ORDER AND JUDGMENT *

Before BRORBY , ANDERSON , and MURPHY , Circuit Judges.

After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel has determined

unanimously that oral argument would not materially assist the determination of
1 Plaintiffs sued many defendants, including the police officers involved in

the standoff and various municipal entities and officials. Appellant has moved to

dismiss defendants Board of Leavenworth County Commissioners, Donald

Navinski, chairman; Kenneth Bernard, Mayor of the City of Lansing, Kansas;

H.B. Weeks, Mayor of the City of Leavenworth, Kansas; and Chief Lee Doehring

Chief of Police for the City of Leavenworth, Kansas. The motion is granted. 

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this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2); 10th Cir. R. 34.1(G). The case is

therefore ordered submitted without oral argument.

Plaintiffs Curtis and Lela Henry filed suit after their son, Curtis Henry, Jr.,

was shot and killed during a lengthy confrontation with police following an

attempted kidnapping and robbery at a Western Sizzlin’ restaurant on October 19,

1996. They asserted claims under 42 U.S.C. §§ 1983, 1985, 1986, and state law. 

In decisions filed on August 4 and 13, 1999, the district court granted summary

judgment in favor of defendants on plaintiffs’ federal claims and dismissed

plaintiffs’ state law claims. Lela Henry, appearing pro se, appeals. 1 Curtis Henry

does not appeal. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291, and affirm.

“We review a grant of summary judgment de novo, applying the same legal

standard as the district court.” Myers v. Oklahoma County Bd. of County

Comm’rs , 151 F.3d 1313, 1316 (10th Cir. 1998). Summary judgment is

appropriate “if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and

admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no

genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a
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judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c). Appellant argues on appeal,

first, that there are disputed issues of material fact to be tried as to

(a) whether defendant Officer Wehmeyer was shot in the wrist by the deceased or

by cross-fire from other officers, (b) whether the deceased attempted to kidnap

Shammara Stuteville or whether she willingly accompanied him through the

parking lot at the Western Sizzlin’, and (c) whether Shammara Stuteville’s sister

made a false statement to the police that the deceased pointed a gun at

Shammara’s head. Appellant also asserts that the district court improperly failed

to consider the absence of five shell casings to support defendants’ testimony that

the deceased fired five shots. Appellant maintains that these errors are relevant to

the district court’s determination that defendants’ use of deadly force was

reasonable as a matter of law. In addition, appellant argues that the district court

erred in not compelling Officer Bledsoe to answer a question asked during a

deposition touching on what happened during a debriefing session with his

superior.

The district court thoroughly examined each of plaintiffs’ claims, finding

them to be without merit in light of the uncontroverted evidence. It noted that

plaintiffs’ arguments related to the evidence were speculative and not based on

evidence. It held that plaintiffs’ motion to compel was not timely.
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We have carefully reviewed appellant’s brief, the district court’s orders,

and the record on appeal. We find no error, and affirm for substantially the same

reasons as those set forth in the district court’s August 4 and 13, 1999 orders.

Appellant’s motion to dismiss as to the specified parties is granted. The

judgment of the United States District Court for the District of Kansas is

AFFIRMED. The mandate shall issue forthwith. 

Entered for the Court

Stephen H. Anderson

Circuit Judge