Opinion ID: 2996344
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Damage to the Truck

Text: The Molinas finally contend that the console and hood of their truck sustained unnecessary damage during the search. We first note that the Molinas have not pointed to any evidence in the record that the alleged damage was unreasonable. Additionally, plaintiffs do not claim to have actually seen any of the seventeen officers involved in the search damage the truck. Moreover, Jackie and Raul acknowledge that their sons had access to the garage. Nevertheless, the Molinas assert that the circumstantial evidence—namely Officer Cooper’s admission that he was inside the truck at one point (although he denied damaging the hood)—is sufficient to raise a factual dispute as to whether Officer Cooper damaged the truck. While we agree with the Molinas that circumstan- tial evidence can be compelling, like any other evidence it depends on its strength. The facts in this case bear a strong resemblance to those in Hessel v. O’Hearn, 977 F.2d 299 (7th Cir. 1992). In Hessel, summary judgment was granted to fourteen officers when the plaintiffs admitted that they could not identify which of the officers stole various items from the plaintiffs’ home. Id. at 305. The Molinas attempt to distinguish Hessel because the plaintiffs in that case suffered from a complete inability to distinguish the wrongdoer, whereas here the plaintiffs assert that Officer Cooper is the likely culprit. However, the 7 (...continued) warrant was executed. At that time, few cases even cited the use of such devices disapprovingly, and in any event those courts found their use reasonable under the circumstances. See, e.g., United States v. Myers, 106 F.3d 936, 940 (10th Cir. 1997); United States v. Kingsley, No. 97-40095-01-RDR, 1998 WL 295577, at -4 (D. Kan. May 21, 1998). Thus, even if we found their actions to be unreasonable, the officers would be entitled to qualified immunity. Saucier, 533 U.S. at 201-02. No. 02-1995 17 Molinas have not alleged a conspiracy of silence among the officers (a move that might have strengthened their argument that Hessel is inapplicable), and the evidence linking Officer Cooper, one of seventeen officers who could conceivably have damaged the truck, is simply too thin to survive summary judgment. No jury could reasonably infer from this evidence that Officer Cooper caused the damage to the truck. Hessel is therefore fatal to the plaintiffs’ claim, and the district court’s grant of summary judgment for the officers was proper.