# U n i t e d S t a t e s C o u r t o f A pp e a l s
For the Eig hth Circu it

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No . 1 9 -2 0 48

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Ho l l i s Dev i n M art z

l ll l l l l l l l l l l l ll l l l l l Pl a i n t i

f f - Ap pel l ee

v

.

M i ch ael Barn es , Dep u t y Sev i er Co u n ty Det en t i o n Cen ter; Kri s Hu n d l ey , Dep u t y Sev i er Co u n ty

Det en t i o n Cen t er; Th o m as J ack s o n , Dep u t y Sev ier Co u n t y Det en t i o n Cen t er

l l ll l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l Def

en d an t s

Tro y Crav en s , Dep u t y

Sev i er Co u nt y Det en t i on Cen t er

l ll l l l l l l l l l l l ll l l l l l Def

en da n t - Ap pel l an t

M at t h ew D. W eb b

, Dep ut y Sev i er Co u n ty Det en ti o n Cen ter

l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l

Def en d a n t

Ch ad Do wd l e, Dep u t y

Sev i er Co u n t y Det en t i on Cen t er; Ro b ert Gen t ry , In ves t ig at o r Sev i er Co u nt y Det en t i o n ; W en d el l Ran d al l , Dep u ty Sev i er Co u n t y Det en t i o n Cen t er; Ch ri s t o p h er W o l l co t , Dep u ty Sev i er Co u n t y

Det en t i o n Cen t er; Sh eri ff Ben n y

Si m m o n s , Sev i er Co un t y

Sh eri ff’ s Dep art m en t

l l l l l l l l l ll l l l l l l l l l l Def

en d a n t s - Ap pel l an t s

_

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Ap p eal fro m

Un i t ed St at es Di s t ri ct Co u rt fo r t h e W es t ern Di s t ri ct o f Ark an s as - Tex ark an a

_

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Su b m i t t ed : Decem b er 3 , 2 0 1 9
Fi l ed : Decem

b er 9 , 2 0 1 9 [Un pu b l is h ed ]

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Befo re GRUENDER, W OLLM AN, an d KOBES, Ci rcu i t J u dg es

.

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PER CURIAM

.

In t h i s i n terl o cu t o ry ap p eal

, Ho l l is Dev in M art z, an i n m at e fo rm erl y d et ai n ed

at t h e Sev i er Co u n ty Det en t i o n Cen t er, b ro u g h t a 4 2 U.S.C. § 1 9 83 act i on cl ai m i n g,

as rel ev an t

, t h at Dep u t y W en d el l Ran d al l

, Dep u ty Ch ad D o wd l e, Dep u t y In v es t i g at o r

Ro b ert Gen t ry , Dep u t y Tro y Crav en s , J ai l A d m i n i s trat o r Ch ri s t o p h er W o l co t t

, an d

Sh eri ff Ben n y Si m

m o n s u sed ex ces s i v e fo rce an d were d el i berat el y i n d i fferen t t o h i s

m ed i cal n eed s rel at i n g t o a pep p er-s p ray i n ci d en t

. D efen dan t s h av e ap p eal ed t h e
d i s t ri ct co u rt ’ s d en i al o f th ei r m o t i o n fo r su m m ary ju d g m en t o n t h e b as i s o f q u al i fi ed

i m m u ni t y . W e rev ers e an d rem an d

.

M art z al l eg ed t h at o n M ay 6

, 2 01 6

, Ran d al l, wi t h Gen t ry an d Do wd l e p res en t

, d ep lo y ed p ep p er s p ray t o ward an i n m at e wh o was cau si n g a di s t u rb an ce i n t h e s am e
cel l wh ere M art z was h o u s ed

. Th e p ep per s p ray m i s s ed th e cel l m at e an d h i t M art z

i n h i s face, ey es , ears , an d m o u t h

, cau s i n g h i m t o vo m i t an d ex p eri en ce s h o rt n es s o f

b reat h

. M art z t o l d Ran d al l, D o wd le, Gen t ry , an d Crav en s t h a t h e h ad b een h i t

, b ut

was l eft o v ern i g ht w i t h o u t a s h o wer an d was d en i ed a cl o t h es ch an g e an d m ed i cal

at t en ti o n

. M art z fu rt h er al l eg ed t h at J ai l A d m i n is trat o r Wo lco t t becam e aware at

s o m e u n s p eci fi ed po i n t t h at M art z h ad b een h i t wi t h m ace an d co n s pi red t o d en y h i m

a cl ot h es ch an g e, a s h o wer, an d m ed i cal at t en t i o n , an d t h at aft er b ei n g in fo rm ed

, Sh eri ff Si m

m o n s n eg lect ed h i s d u t i es t o o v ers ee i n m at es ’ care b y al l o w i n g t h e

u n d erl y i n g o ffi cers ’ act i o n s

. Th e d i s t ri ct co u r t de nie d s um

m a r y j udgm e nt, c onc ludi n g

-2

-t h at wh i l e d ef e n d a n t s d i d n o t u s e ex ces si v e fo rce i n t h e d ep l o y m en t o f t h e p ep p er

s p r a y, t hey were n o t en t i t l ed t o q u al i fi ed i m m u ni t y o n t h e ex ces s iv e-fo rce an d

d el i b erat e-i n d i fferen ce cl ai m s b as ed o n t h e d en i al of cl ean u p an d m ed i cal care aft er

t h e p ep p er-s pray i n ci d en t

.

We r ev i ew t h e d en i al o f q u al i fi ed i m m u n i t y d e n ov o

. See Th o m p s o n v

. M o n ti cel l o , 8 9 4 F.3 d 9 9 3

, 9 9 7 -9 8 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 1 8 ) (s t an d ard o f rev iew). Ou r rev i ew

o f t h e reco rd s at i s fi es u s t h at M art z d i d n o t m eet h i s b u rd en o f es t ab l i s h i n g t h at t h e

l aw was cl earl y es t ab li sh ed s u ch t h at a reas o nab l e o ffi cer wo u ld h av e u n d ers t o o d h i s

act i on s v i o l at ed t h o se ri g h t s

. See As h cro ft v

. al -Ki d d

, 5 6 3 U.S. 7 31

, 7 41 (2 0 1 1 ) (cas e
d i rect l y on p o i n t i s n o t r e q u i red

, “ b u t ex i st i ng p reced en t m u s t h av e p l aced t h e

s t at u to ry o r co n s t i t u ti o n al q u es t i o n b ey o n d d eb at e”); Han so n as T r. fo r Lay t o n v.

Bes t, 91 5 F.3 d 5 4 3

, 5 4 8 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 1 9 ) (b urd en i s o n p l ai n t i ff t o i d en ti fy au t h o ri t y );

D e La Ro s a v

. W h it e, 8 5 2 F.3 d 7 4 0

, 7 4 5 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 1 7 ) (co n t o u rs o f c l e a r l y

es t ab l i s h ed ri g ht m

u s t b e s uffi ci en t l y cl ear s u ch t h at a reas o n ab l e o ffi ci al w o u l d h av e

u n d ers t o o d h i s act i o n s v i o l at e t h at ri g h t).

Sp eci fi cal l y , i t was n o t cl earl y es t ab l i s h e d t h a t --ab s en t a p ri o r u s e o f

u n co ns t it u t i o n al ex ces s i v e fo rce--d efen d an t s co u l d b e h el d l i ab l e fo r ex ces s i v e fo rce
b as ed on t h e fai lu re to d e c o n t a m i n a t e or t h e d en i al o f m ed i cal care al on e. In t h o s e

cas es i n wh i ch we h av e h el d t h at t h e fai l u re t o al l o w d eco n t am i n at i o n o r th e d en i al

o f m ed i cal care co n s t i t u t e d e x c es s i v e fo rce, s u ch fai lu res occu rred as p art o f a

co n ti n u i n g s eri es o f ev en t s , b eg i n n i n g wi t h t h e u s e o f u n co n s t i t ut i o n al ex ces s i v e

fo rce. See, e.g

. Bu rn s v

. Eat o n , 7 52 F.3 d 1 1 36

, 11 4 0 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 1 4 ) (“ t he few cas es
wh ere we den i e d s um m ary ju d g m en t i n Ei gh t h Am en dm en t ex ces s i v e fo rce cl ai m s
b as ed on p ep p er sp ray i n g h av e i n vo l v ed n o warn i n g t h i s fo rce wo u l d b e u s ed

, n o

ap p aren t p u rp o s e o t h er t h an i n fl i ct i n g p ai n , u s e o f u n n eces s ar y ‘ s u p er-s o ak er’

q u an ti t i es o f t h e ch em i cal

, refu s al t o al l o w th e v i ct i m t o was h o ff t h e p ai n fu l ch em i cal

fo r d ay s , an d/ or u s e o f ad d i t i o n a l p h ys i cal fo rce.”); s ee al s o Al l en v

. M i l l s , No

. 1 : 1 6 -CV-0 00 2 6 -SNLJ

, 20 1 8 W L 6 1 7 1 4 3 6 , at * 7 (E.D. M o . No v . 2 6

, 20 1 8 ) (n o t i n g

-3

-t h at Bu rn s cl ari fi ed t h at t h e fai l u re t o p erm i t a p ri s o n er t o was h o ff p ep p er sp ray i s a

d el ay ed d eco n tam i n at io n cl ai m i n v o ki n g d e l i b erat e i n d i fferen ce s t an dard s , n o t an

ex ces s i v e fo rce cl ai m ). In t he ab s en ce o f a fi nd i n g o f t h e u s e o f ex ces s i ve fo rce, we

co n cl u d e t h at d efen d an t s w e r e en t i tl ed t o q ual i fi ed i m m u n it y on t h e d el ay ed

co n tam i n at i o n cl ai m

.

W e fu rt h er co n cl u d e t h at d efen d an t s were e n t i t l ed t o q u al i fi ed i m m u n i t y o n

M art z’ s cl ai m t h at t h ey were d el i b erat el y i n d ifferen t b y d e n y i n g h i m a
d eco nt am i n at i o n s h o wer an d m ed i cal care aft er t h e p ep per-s pr a y i n ci d en t

. See

T h o m p s o n , 8 9 4 F.3 d at 9 9 7 -9 8

. Ev en as s u m i n g th at M art z h ad a s eri ou s m ed i cal

n eed

, t h e s u m

m ary j u d g m en t reco rd rev eal s th at d efen dan t s p ro v i d ed h i m wi th

i m m ed i at e acces s t o a s i nk

, t o wel

, an d s oap i n h i s cel l fo r d eco n t am i n at i on

. Becau s e

s u ch faci l i t i es w ere av ai l ab l e, i t i s n o t cl ear t h at d efen d an ts were d el i b erat el y

i n d i fferen t b y fai l i n g t o p ro v i d e M art z wi t h an im m ed i at e s h o wer or o t h er care. See

W h i t e v

. Pau l y , 13 7 S. Ct

. 5 4 8

, 5 5 2 (2 0 1 7 ) (“ [C] l earl y es t ab l i sh ed l aw s h ou l d n o t b e
d efi n ed at h i g h l ev el o f g en eral i t y

. As t h is Co u rt ex p l ai n ed d ecad es ag o , t h e cl earl y

es t ab l i s h ed l aw m

u s t b e p art i cu l ari zed t o t h e fact s o f th e cas e.

. . . Th e [l o w er co u rt ]

. . . l a[i d ] o u t ex ces s i ve-fo rce p ri n ci p l es o n l y at a g en eral l ev el .”) (i n tern al ci t at i on s

o m i t t e d ); J o h ns o n v

. Leo n ard

, 9 2 9 F.3 d 5 6 9

, 5 7 6 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 19 ) (d el i b erat e

i n d i fferen ce i s a fact -i n t en s i v e i n q u i ry an d req u i res a l ev el o f cu l p ab i l i t y ev en m o re

t h an g ro s s n eg l i g en ce an d ak i n t o cri m i n al reck l es sn es s ); Dav i s v. Hal l, 3 7 5 F.3 d 7 0 3,

7 1 2 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 0 4 ) (o ffi ci al s a re n o t l iab l e fo r b ad g ues s es i n g ray areas , b u t fo r

t ran s gres s i n g b ri g ht l i n es ); s ee al s o W ard v

. Sm i t h

, 8 4 4 F.3 d 7 1 7

, 72 0 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 1 6 )
(n o co n st i t ut i on al v i o l at i o n i n ex ces s i v e fo rce cas e wh en , aft er i n m at e’ s gen i t al s were

i n t en t i o n al l y p ep p er s p ray ed

, h e h ad acces s i n h i s cel l t o ru n n i n g wat er bu t n o t s o ap );

Bu rn s , 7 5 2 F.3 d at 1 1 4 0 -4 1 (n o d el i b erat e i n di fferen ce wh en p ri s o n o ffi ci al was t o ld

t o s h u t o ff wat e r a n d p r i s o n er was u n ab le t o ri n se p ep p er s p ray ou t o f ey es fo r 1 0

m i n u t es ).

-4

-Acco rd i ng l y , we rev ers e t h e d en i al o f s u m m ary ju d g m en t b as ed o n qu al i f i ed

i m m u ni t y o n t h e ex ces si v e fo rce an d d el i b erat e i n d i fferen ce cl ai m s , an d we rem an d

t h e cas e to t h e d i s t ri ct co u rt fo r en t ry o f ju d g m en t i n f a v o r o f defen d an t s o n t h o s e
cl ai m s

.

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