Opinion ID: 213017
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Negligent Wrongful Death

Text: To support a claim of negligent wrongful death against law enforcement officers, a plaintiff must establish the standard elements of negligence: defendants owed a duty of care; defendants breached their duty; and defendants' breach caused plaintiff's injury. See Wright v. City of Los Angeles, 219 Cal.App.3d 318, 344, 358, 268 Cal.Rptr. 309 (1990). Appellant contends that the deputies were negligent both in their conduct prior to the shooting and in their ultimate decision to use deadly force. In rejecting this claim, the district court held that the deputies owed Hayes no duty of care related to their preshooting conduct, never addressing whether the deputies' preshooting conduct was negligent or was the cause of Hayes's death. As to the decision to use deadly force, the district court held that the deputies' use of force was objectively reasonable and therefore not negligent.
While breach of duty and proximate cause normally present factual questions, the existence of a legal duty in a given factual situation is a question of law for the courts to determine. Jackson v. Ryder Truck Rental, Inc., 16 Cal.App.4th 1830, 1838, 20 Cal.Rptr.2d 913 (1993) (quoting Andrews v. Wells, 204 Cal.App.3d 533, 538, 251 Cal.Rptr. 344 (1988)). In evaluating state law, where the state's highest court has not decided an issue, the task of the federal courts is to predict how the state high court would resolve it. [3] Westlands Water Dist. v. Amoco Chemical Co., 953 F.2d 1109, 1111 (9th Cir.1991) (quoting Air-Sea Forwarders, Inc. v. Air Asia Co., Ltd., 880 F.2d 176, 186 (9th Cir.1989)) (internal quotation marks omitted). In undertaking this analysis, `a federal court . . . is not free to reject a state judicial rule of law merely because it has not received the sanction of the state's highest court.' Katz v. Children's Hosp., 28 F.3d 1520, 1528-29 (9th Cir.1994) (quoting Estrella v. Brandt, 682 F.2d 814, 817 (9th Cir.1982)). An intermediate state appellate court decision is a `datum for ascertaining state law which is not to be disregarded by a federal court unless it is convinced by other persuasive data that the highest court of the state would decide otherwise.' Estrella, 682 F.2d at 817 (quoting West v. A.T. & T. Co., 311 U.S. 223, 237, 61 S.Ct. 179, 85 L.Ed. 139 (1940)). The California Supreme Court has held that an officer's lack of due care can give rise to negligence liability for the intentional shooting death of a suspect. Munoz v. Olin, 24 Cal.3d 629, 634, 156 Cal. Rptr. 727, 596 P.2d 1143 (1979) (citing Grudt v. City of Los Angeles, 2 Cal.3d 575, 587, 86 Cal.Rptr. 465, 468 P.2d 825 (1970)). While this tort duty has been expressly applied to the use of deadly force, see id., [t]here remains an open question . . . whether an officer's lack of due care with respect to preshooting tactical decisions can give rise to liability for negligence. Brown v. Ransweiler, 171 Cal.App.4th 516, 534, 89 Cal.Rptr.3d 801 (2009). Appellant contends that Deputies King and Geer were negligent because they failed to gather all potentially available information about Hayes or request a PERT team before confronting him. Relying on two California intermediate appellate court decisions, the district court held that the deputies owed no duty of care for this preshooting conduct. See Adams v. City of Fremont, 68 Cal.App.4th 243, 276, 80 Cal.Rptr.2d 196 (1998) (On balance, the relevant public policy considerations militate against imposing a legal duty on police officers to take reasonable steps to prevent a threatened suicide from being carried out.); Munoz v. City of Union City, 120 Cal.App.4th 1077, 1097, 16 Cal.Rptr.3d 521 (2004) ([L]ike Adams, the need to protect the overall safety of the community by encouraging law enforcement officers to exercise their best judgment in deciding how to deal with public safety emergencies vastly outweighs the societal value of imposing tort liability for the judgments they make in emergency situations.). Both City of Union City and Adams relied upon factors outlined by the California Supreme Court in Rowland v. Christian, 69 Cal.2d 108, 112-13, 70 Cal.Rptr. 97, 443 P.2d 561 (1968), for determining when a tort duty is owed. Further, the court in City of Union City directly held that a police commander could be found negligent only for his decision to use deadly force in an emergency situation, not for his preshooting conduct. 120 Cal.App.4th at 1094-1110, 16 Cal. Rptr.3d 521. After the district court granted summary judgment, however, the California Supreme Court indicated that law enforcement officers might be subject to negligence liability for certain preshooting conduct. Hernandez v. City of Pomona, 46 Cal.4th 501, 515-22, 94 Cal.Rptr.3d 1, 207 P.3d 506 (2009). In Hernandez, the court granted review to consider the following question: When a federal court enters judgment in favor of the defendants in a civil rights claim brought under 42 United States Code section 1983 . . ., in which the plaintiffs seek damages for police use of deadly and constitutionally excessive force in pursuing a suspect, and the court then dismisses a supplemental state law wrongful death claim arising out of the same incident, what, if any, preclusive effect does the judgment have in a subsequent state court wrongful death action? Id. at 505, 94 Cal.Rptr.3d 1, 207 P.3d 506. The court held that on the record and conceded facts here, the federal judgment collaterally estops plaintiffs from pursuing their wrongful death claim, even on the theory that the officers' preshooting conduct was negligent. Id. at 506, 94 Cal. Rptr.3d 1, 207 P.3d 506. In doing so, the California Supreme Court did not hold that law enforcement officers owed no duty of care in regards to preshooting conduct, as the lower court in City of Union City had held. Instead, the court found that the officers' preshooting conduct did not breach applicable standards of care. Id. at 515-22, 94 Cal.Rptr.3d 1, 207 P.3d 506. The court in Hernandez did not address City of Union City or Adams, nor did it expressly determine that law enforcement officers owe a duty of care in regards to preshooting conduct. Nevertheless, the court's analysis of whether the officers' preshooting conduct independently constituted breach of a duty of care strongly indicates that California's highest court would not adopt a rule that officers owe no such duty. Indeed, in a concurring opinion, Justice Moreno argued that the court should not have reached the issue because plaintiffs are entitled to amend their complaint to allege preshooting negligence. Id. at 522, 94 Cal.Rptr.3d 1, 207 P.3d 506 (Moreno, J., concurring). The majority responded, stating we find that plaintiffs have adequately shown how they would amend their complaint to allege a preshooting negligence claim, and that we must determine whether any of the preshooting acts plaintiffs have identified can support negligence liability. Id. at 521 n. 18, 94 Cal.Rptr.3d 1, 207 P.3d 506. This discussion strongly indicates that the California Supreme Court believes a duty of care is owed and that courts must address breach and causation. [4] On the basis of the discussion in Hernandez, we conclude that the California Supreme Court is unlikely to find law enforcement officers owe no duty of care in regards to their preshooting conduct in emergency situations. Accordingly, we reverse the district court's holding that Deputies King and Geer owed no such duty, and remand for a decision on the relevant standard of care, whether the deputies breached this standard, and whether any such breach caused Hayes's death.
As noted, under California negligence law, police officers have a duty to use reasonable care in employing deadly force. City of Union City, 120 Cal. App.4th at 1097, 16 Cal.Rptr.3d 521 (citing Grudt, 2 Cal.3d 575, 86 Cal.Rptr. 465, 468 P.2d 825 and Munoz, 24 Cal.3d 629, 156 Cal.Rptr. 727, 596 P.2d 1143). Claims of excessive force under California law are analyzed under the same standard of objective reasonableness used in Fourth Amendment claims. See In re Joseph F., 85 Cal.App.4th 975, 989, 102 Cal.Rptr.2d 641 (2000) (citing Martinez v. County of Los Angeles, 47 Cal.App.4th 334, 343, 54 Cal.Rptr.2d 772 (1996)); see also Edson v. City of Anaheim, 63 Cal.App.4th 1269, 1274, 74 Cal.Rptr.2d 614 (1998) (noting that 42 U.S.C. § 1983 is the federal counterpart of state battery or wrongful death actions); Brown, 171 Cal.App.4th at 527 n. 11, 89 Cal.Rptr.3d 801 (Because federal civil rights claims of excessive use of force are the federal counterpart to state battery and wrongful death claims, federal cases are instructive in this area.). The `reasonableness' of a particular use of force must be judged from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene, rather than with the 20/20 vision of hindsight. Graham v. Connor, 490 U.S. 386, 396, 109 S.Ct. 1865, 104 L.Ed.2d 443 (1989). To do so, a court must pay careful attention to the facts and circumstances of each particular case, including [1] the severity of the crime at issue, [2] whether the suspect poses an immediate threat to the safety of the officers or others, and [3] whether he is actively resisting arrest or attempting to evade arrest by flight. Id. We also consider, under the totality of the circumstances, the quantum of force used, Davis v. City of Las Vegas, 478 F.3d 1048, 1055 (9th Cir.2007), the availability of less severe alternatives, id. at 1054, and the suspect's mental and emotional state, see Deorle v. Rutherford, 272 F.3d 1272, 1282 (9th Cir.2001). All determinations of unreasonable force, however, must embody allowance for the fact that police officers are often forced to make split-second judgmentsin circumstances that are tense, uncertain, and rapidly evolvingabout the amount of force that is necessary in a particular situation. Graham, 490 U.S. at 396-97, 109 S.Ct. 1865. Although we view the evidence in the light most favorable to Appellant in reviewing summary judgement, Margolis v. Ryan, 140 F.3d 850, 852 (9th Cir.1998), we can only consider the circumstances of which Deputies King and Geer were aware when they employed deadly force. See Graham, 490 U.S. at 396, 109 S.Ct. 1865. Accordingly, we cannot consider the fact that Hayes was intoxicated or that he had previously used a knife in harming himself when evaluating the circumstances under which the deputies used deadly force. In considering the first and third factors under Graham, it is undisputed that Hayes had committed no crime, and there is no evidence suggesting that Hayes was actively resisting arrest or attempting to evade arrest. 490 U.S. at 396, 109 S.Ct. 1865. Taken in the light most favorable to Appellant, Hayes appears to have been complying with Deputy King's order to show his hands when Hayes raised his hands and revealed the knife. His statement that the deputies could take him to jail further suggests his compliance at the time. Although Hayes was walking towards the deputies, he was not charging them, and had not been ordered to stop. He had committed no crime and had followed all orders from the deputies at the time he was shot. [5] The central issue is whether it was objectively reasonable under the circumstances for the deputies to believe that Hayes posed an immediate threat to their safety, warranting the immediate use of deadly force, rather than less severe alternativessuch as an order to stop, an order to drop the knife, or a warning that deadly force would be used if Hayes came any closer to the deputies. [6] See Smith v. City of Hemet, 394 F.3d 689, 702 (9th Cir.2005) (en banc) (noting that the second factor under Graham is the most important) (quoting Chew v. Gates, 27 F.3d 1432, 1441 (9th Cir.1994)). Based on the undisputed facts that Hayes was moving toward Deputy King with the knife raised, the district court found as a matter of law that the deputies' use of deadly force was objectively reasonable due to the threat to the officers' safety. Considering all the circumstances in the light most favorable to the Appellant, we cannot agree. [T]he mere fact that a suspect possesses a weapon does not justify deadly force. Haugen v. Brosseau, 351 F.3d 372, 381 (9th Cir.2003) (citing Harris v. Roderick, 126 F.3d 1189, 1202 (9th Cir.1997)) (holding, in the Ruby Ridge civil case, that the FBI's directive to kill any armed adult male was constitutionally unreasonable even though a United States Marshal had already been shot and killed by one of the males); Curnow, 952 F.2d at 324-25 (holding that deadly force was unreasonable where the suspect possessed a gun but was not pointing it at the officers and was not facing the officers when they shot). Accordingly, Hayes's unexpected possession of the knife alone particularly when he had committed no crime and was confronted inside his own homewas not sufficient reason for the officers to employ deadly force. On the other hand, threatening an officer with a weapon does justify the use of deadly force. See, e.g., Smith, 394 F.3d at 704 (recognizing that where a suspect threatens an officer with a weapon such as a gun or knife, the officer is justified in using deadly force); Reynolds v. County of San Diego, 84 F.3d 1162, 1168 (9th Cir.1996) (holding deadly force reasonable where suspect, who was behaving erratically, swung a knife at an officer), overruled on other grounds in Acri v. Varian Associates, Inc., 114 F.3d 999 (9th Cir. 1997). [7] There is no clear evidence, however, that Hayes was threatening the officers with the knife here. Prior to entering the house, the deputies were told that Hayes had only threatened to harm himself, not others. Nor did the deputies witness Hayes acting erratically with the knife. Cf. Reynolds, 84 F.3d at 1168 (finding that it was reasonable for an officer to attempt to restrain a suspect where the suspect possessed a knife and was acting erratically because the suspect was perceived as a threat by others in the area). Deputy King indicated that it was Hayes's movement towards him that caused him to believe Hayes was an immediate threat. A simple statement by an officer that he fears for his safety or the safety others is not enough[however]; there must be objective factors to justify such a concern. Deorle, 272 F.3d at 1281. Neill stated that Hayes was not charging Deputy King and described Hayes's expression as clueless when walking towards the deputies. As noted, Hayes had not been told to stop or been given any indication that his actions were perceived as a threat. Further, Hayes was still six to eight feet away from Deputy King at the time he was shot. Accordingly, the present evidence does not clearly establish that Hayes was threatening the deputies with the knife. Finally, it is significant that Hayes was given no warning before the deputies shot him. As noted by the court in Deorle: The absence of a warning or an order to halt is also a factor that influences our decision. Shooting a person who is making a disturbance because he walks in the direction of an officer at a steady gait with a can or bottle in his hand is clearly not objectively reasonable. Certainly it is not objectively reasonable to do so when the officer neither orders the individual to stop nor to drop the can or bottle, and does not even warn him that he will be fired upon if he fails to halt. Appropriate warnings comport with actual police practice. . . . We do not hold, however, that warnings are required whenever less than deadly force is employed. Rather, we simply determine that such warnings should be given, when feasible, if the use of force may result in serious injury, and that the giving of a warning or the failure to do so is a factor to be considered in applying the Graham balancing test. Id. at 1283-84. The San Diego County Sheriff's Department Guidelines regarding use of force reflect the importance of warning a suspect before using deadly force: In situations where any force used is capable of causing serious injury or death, there is a requirement that, whenever feasible, the deputy must first warn the suspect that force will be used if there is not compliance. While estimating that such a warning would have taken only a split second, Deputy King testified that he did not feel he had time to issue such a warning. According to Deputy King's own testimony, however, Hayes was still at least six feet away from him at the time he was shot. It is not clear that a warning in this situation was unfeasible. The California Supreme Court has held that it is improper for a trial court to remove the issue of negligence from a jury where the evidence most favorable to the plaintiff could support a view that the force used was unreasonable. See Grudt, 2 Cal.3d at 587, 86 Cal.Rptr. 465, 468 P.2d 825 (holding the trial court erred in removing the issue of negligence from the jury where the evidence most favorable to the plaintiff could have supported a view that Grudt, driving in a high crime area late at night and hailed to stop by men in plain clothes, thought he was going to be robbed, tried to elude the robbers, and was then shot by the plainclothes officers when his car stopped at an intersection). Seen in the light most favorable to Appellant, Hayes was complying with Deputy King's order when he raised the knife and posed no clear threat at the time he was shot without warning. Accordingly, the reasonableness of the force used here cannot be determined as a matter of law. The circumstances of this case can be viewed in multiple ways: as suicide by cop, as officers suddenly threatened with a deadly weapon, or as a depressed man simply holding a knife when confronted by law enforcement. As with most excessive force claims, the correct determination of the circumstances here will require a careful balancing of the evidence and the inferences that can be made therefrom. For just this reason, this court has stated on many occasions that summary judgment in excessive force cases should be granted sparingly because the reasonableness of force used is ordinarily a question of fact for the jury. See, e.g., Smith, 394 F.3d at 701; Santos v. Gates, 287 F.3d 846, 853 (9th Cir. 2002); Liston v. County of Riverside, 120 F.3d 965, 976 n.10 (9th Cir. 1997) (citing multiple cases). Accordingly, we reverse summary judgement on the claim that the deputies' use of deadly force was negligent and remand the claim for further proceedings. [8]