Opinion ID: 655577
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: False Arrest of Lirio

Text: 28 Count Three alleged that Sellers-Sampson arrested Lirio without probable cause. As we understand Florida law, it is a crime not only to oppose or to obstruct a law officer in the execution of the officer's duty, but also to attempt to oppose or to obstruct the officer. And none of these crimes require violence or the offer to do violence. See Fl.Stat. § 843.02 7 ; State v. Tousignant, 460 So.2d 450, 451 (Fla.Dist.Ct.App.1984). Defendants argue Sellers-Sampson is entitled to qualified immunity because he had arguable probable cause (whether or not probable cause existed in fact) to believe Lirio had committed or was about to commit a crime. 29 Defendants claim that, after Post was arrested, Lirio began inciting bystanders and threatening Sellers-Sampson. Plaintiffs deny these allegations, but concede that Lirio did keep talking after Sellers-Sampson told him to be quiet. 8 The undisputed evidence showed that the restaurant was crowded and that customers were stopping to watch Post's arrest. Sellers-Sampson had also been told earlier by another police officer that Lirio had recently resisted arrest with violence. 9 Under these circumstances, a reasonable officer in Sellers-Sampson's place could have believed Lirio's repeated comment in seeming defiance of a police instruction indicated that Lirio was interfering or about to attempt to interfere with the code team. Sellers-Sampson is entitled to qualified immunity because he had arguable probable cause to arrest Lirio. Put differently, Lirio has not shown that the law of probable cause is so clearly established that no reasonable officer, faced with the situation before Sellers-Sampson, could have believed that probable cause to arrest existed. 30 Plaintiffs also concede that Lirio--without having been told to do so--raised his hands to Sellers-Sampson after being told he was under arrest. Because a reasonable officer in Sellers-Sampson's place could have interpreted this raising of hands as resistance, Sellers-Sampson is entitled to qualified immunity.