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Jason K. Reed (No. 022657)

CITY OF MESA ATTORNEY'S OFFICE

MS-1077

P.O. Box 1466

Mesa, Arizona 85211-1466

Telephone: (480) 644-2343

mesacityattorney@mesaaz.gov

Attorneys for Defendants City of Mesa, Clyde Spillers, Steven Hether, Jose Rodriguez, Brett 

Metcalf, and Thomas McKnight

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

David Steele Douglass,

Plaintiff,

vs.

City of Mesa; Clyde Spillers, a person; Steven 

Hether, a person; Jose Rodriguez, a person; 

Brett Metcalf, a person; and Thomas McKnight, 

a person,

Defendants.

 Case No. 

DEFENDANTS CITY OF MESA, CLYDE 

SPILLERS, STEVEN HETHER, JOSE 

RODRIGUEZ, BRETT METCALF, AND 

THOMAS MCKNIGHT’S NOTICE OF 

REMOVAL

(Maricopa County Superior Court

No. CV2017-095864)

TO: THE CLERK OF THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE 

DISTRICT OF ARIZONA:

Please take notice that Defendants City of Mesa, Clyde Spillers, Steven Hether, Jose 

Rodriguez, Brett Metcalf, and Thomas McKnight (“Petitioners”) hereby remove to this Court 

the state court action described below pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1331 and 28 U.S.C. § 1441.

1. Petitioners are the Defendants in the civil action commenced and now pending in 

the Superior Court of Maricopa County, Arizona, entitled Douglass v. City of Mesa, et al., 

Cause No. CV2017-095864. A copy of the Complaint is attached as Exhibit A and incorporated 

by this reference; a copy of the state court’s case file is attached as Exhibit B. 

Case 2:17-cv-04686-GMS Document 1 Filed 12/18/17 Page 1 of 52
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2. Petitioner City of Mesa was served with the Summons and Complaint on 

November 28, 2017. Petitioner Clyde Spillers was served with the Summons and Complaint on 

November 28, 2017. Petitioner Steven Hether was served with the Summons and Complaint on 

November 28, 2017. Petitioner Jose Rodriguez was served with the Summons and Complaint 

on November 30, 2017. Petitioner Brett Metcalf was served with the Summons and Complaint 

on November 30, 2017. Petitioner Thomas McKnight was served with the Summons and 

Complaint on November 30, 2017. 

3. All the Defendants who have been served consent to this removal.

4. This is a civil action in which Plaintiff alleges a violation of his Civil Rights [Ex. 

A at ¶ 35 (“Plaintiff brings this cause of action against all defendants for deprivation of 

constitutional rights within the meaning of 42 U.S.C. section 1983”). 

5. This Court has original jurisdiction of this matter pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1331 

and 42 U.S.C. § 1983. This Court has supplemental jurisdiction over Plaintiff’s state law 

claims. 

6. This Notice of Removal is timely.

7. A copy of this Notice is filed concurrently with the Clerk of the Maricopa County 

Superior Court.

8. Defendants have served upon Plaintiff a copy of this Notice. 

Dated this 18th day of December, 2017.

/s/ Jason K. Reed

Jason K. Reed

Assistant City Attorney

Attorneys for Petitioners

Case 2:17-cv-04686-GMS Document 1 Filed 12/18/17 Page 2 of 52
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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I hereby certify that on December 18, 2017, I electronically transmitted the attached document 

to the Clerk’s Office using the CM/ECF System for filing and served attached document by U.S. 

Mail on the following, who is not a registered participant of the CM/ECF System:

Bedford Douglass Jr.

P.O. Box 21798

Mesa, AZ 85277-1798

Attorney for Plaintiff

/s/ Toni Bell

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Exhibit A

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Exhibit B

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