Opinion ID: 807964
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Claims Against Redford Township

Text: The Marcilises allege that the district court wrongfully granted summary judgment to Redford Township on the Marcilises’ claims that Redford Township failed to train and supervise the Redford Township police officers involved here in violation of section 1983. A plaintiff can demonstrate that a municipality has violated section 1983 by proving that the municipality’s training or supervision was inadequate. See Ellis v. Cleveland Mun. Sch. Dist., 455 F.3d 690, 700 (6th Cir. 2006). To prevail “on a failure to train or supervise claim, the plaintiff must prove the following: (1) the training or supervision was inadequate for the tasks performed; (2) the inadequacy was the result of the municipality’s deliberate indifference; and (3) the inadequacy was No. 11-1073 Marcilis, et al. v. Twp. of Redford, et al. Page 20 closely related to or actually caused the injury.” Id. We have further elaborated that, “[t]o show deliberate indifference, Plaintiff[s] must show prior instances of unconstitutional conduct demonstrating that the [Township] has ignored a history of abuse and was clearly on notice that the training in this particular area was deficient and likely to cause injury.” Plinton v. Cnty. of Summit, 540 F.3d 459, 464 (6th Cir. 2008) (internal quotation marks omitted). The Marcilises allege the following evidence of Redford Township’s failure to train its police officers: (1) Officer Jones could not remember when he last received training about the use of force; (2) Officer Woodall testified that his only use-of-force training took place during his time at the police academy; (3) Officer Jones testified that he received only on-the-job training about how to execute a search warrant; and (4) Officer Woodall could not remember when he last received training on arrests and search warrants. As evidence of Redford Township’s failure to supervise its police officer, the Marcilises assert that Redford Township neither conducts performance evaluations of officers nor has a system in place to review or monitor its officers. Redford Township argues that the Marcilises’ claims fail because the Marcilises have not come forward with evidence of deliberate indifference, the second prong of a failure to train or supervise claim. A review of the record reveals that the Marcilises have failed to come forward with evidence of any history of abuse or any events that would have put Redford Township on notice that officer training regarding the use of force or search warrant execution was “deficient [or] likely to cause injury.” Id. Thus, the Marcilises’ claims fail because the Marcilises have “failed to present probative evidence as to the question of deliberate indifference.” Id. We find that the district court correctly granted summary judgment to the police officers on this claim.