Opinion ID: 864447
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: whether there is a genuine issue of fact as to

Text: WHETHER THE POLICE OFFICERS OF THE TOWN OF SARDIS, MISSISSIPPI DEMONSTRATED A RECKLESS DISREGARD FOR THE SAFETY AND WELFARE OF TITUS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC. ¶36. Next, plaintiffs contend that there was a genuine issue of material of fact as to whether the police officers of the town of Sardis showed a reckless disregard for the safety of Titus and the general public on the night Titus was killed. Basically, their argument is that the Sardis Police did not respond to the report of the first shooting promptly or adequately enough to prevent the second shooting when Titus was killed. We disagree. ¶37. The Mississippi Tort Claims Act, Miss. Code Ann. §§ 11-46-1 to -23 (Rev. 2002), provides the exclusive civil tort remedy against a governmental entity, and a government is exempt from liability for the performance of police duties unless the employee(s) acted “in reckless disregard for the safety and wellbeing” of the plaintiff.” Miss. Code Ann. § 11-46-7(1); 11-46-9(1)(c). The plaintiff has the burden of proving “reckless disregard” by a preponderance of the evidence. Simpson v. City of Pickens, 761 So. 2d 855, 859 (Miss. 2000). ¶38. In the context of § 11-46-9(1)(c) reckless disregard encompasses willful and wanton action. Turner v. City of Ruleville, 735 So.2d 226, 230 (Miss. 1999). Willful and wanton action signifies knowingly and intentionally doing a thing or wrongful act. Little, 719 So.2d at 761. We have further defined reckless disregard as “conscious indifference to consequences, amounting almost to a willingness 13 that harm should follow.” Maye v. Pearl River County, 758 So. 2d 391, 394 (Miss. 1999). Thus, in order to avoid summary judgment, plaintiffs must have created a material dispute as to whether the Sardis police officers took action that they knew would result or intended to result in injury to Titus. ¶39. Plaintiffs allege that the Sardis Police acted with reckless disregard by failing to promptly investigate the shooting of Tywon’s vehicle and by failing to promptly make arrests in response to the complaints made by Titus and Tywon. The undisputed facts and all the reasonable inferences flowing therefrom do not support either allegation. ¶40. At 9:16 p.m., the Sardis Police received a call reporting the first altercation in the Flash Store parking lot. Sardis Police arrived on the scene two minutes later, at 9:18 p.m. Knowing that police were on the way, most of the crowd had dispersed when they arrived. The officers investigated the incident by interviewing those that remained. Tywon and Titus were asked about the fight. They did not assist the investigation, telling officers that nothing was going on. They did not appear worried about the incident or fearful of future conflict. Neither them or anyone else present identified Butcher, who had left the scene before the police arrived. This quick response and thorough investigation indicates that the Sardis Police acted properly during the first event of the evening. We cannot find them in error for failing to discover Butcher’s identity and criminal intent when this information was withheld by Titus. ¶41. At 9:57 p.m., Tywon and Titus arrived at the Sardis Police station to report that Butcher shot at their vehicle. A shift change was scheduled that night for 10:00 p.m. When Tywon and Titus came into the station, Officer Zabe Davis was coming onto his shift. He talked with Tywon and Titus and gathered the facts. He went outside and inspected their vehicle and put out a BOLO (be on the lookout) bulletin for the Butcher vehicle. Titus and Tywon informed the Sardis Police that the Butcher brothers had already left 14 the Flash Store. Sardis Police officers specifically and repeatedly instructed Tywon and Titus to stay away from the Flash Store; however, Titus and Tywon disregarded this instruction and immediately returned to the vicinity of the Flash Store. Despite urging from Tywon to leave the issue to the police, Titus entered the Flash Store intent on assaulting the Butcher brothers. ¶42. The plaintiffs argue that the police should have arrested Butcher before he shot Titus. Thirteen minutes past between the time when Tywon and Titus arrived at the police station and when Titus was shot. These thirteen minutes include the time that Tywon and Titus spent at the police station talking with Officer Davis and his inspecting their car, the time it took them to drive back to the Flash Store, the time it took Titus to get in an altercation with the Butcher brothers inside the Flash Store, and the time that it took Fred to realize Titus had been shot and call the police. Sardis Police officers were en route to the Flash Store when this call was received. ¶43. We conclude that the Sardis Police acted responsibly and within their discretion. A thirteen minute time span, which includes time at the station talking with Tywon and Titus, approximately three to four minutes when Tywon and Titus were driving back to the Flash Store, and time for the police to establish what course of action to take does not constitute reckless disregard for Titus or the general public. ¶44. The Sardis police officers responded promptly when there was a confrontation at the Flash Store earlier in the evening of the shooting. The police officers later investigated the report of a shooting by interviewing Titus and Tywon and by attempting to obtain all relevant information which would assist them and other law enforcement agencies in identifying and locating Butcher, whom the officers had been informed was no longer at the Flash Store. The officers then instructed Titus to stay away from the Flash Store and to let them handle the situation. Titus disregarded these reasonable and proper instructions and 15 returned to the Flash Store where he started a fight with Butcher, whom Titus knew possessed a gun and apparently was not afraid to use it. This decision resulted in his tragic death. These facts are undisputed, and there are no genuine issues of material fact in the record that support the allegation that the Town of Sardis acted with reckless disregard; rather the record supports the conclusion that the officers provided Titus with as much protection as possible under the circumstances. Accordingly, the trial court correctly granted summary judgment in favor of the Town of Sardis. ¶45. This assignment is without merit.