Opinion ID: 171917
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Mr. Gonzalez’s Account

Text: Mr. Gonzalez related his version of events in an affidavit submitted (in Spanish) to the district court. According to Mr. Gonzalez, Officer Wolthuis knocked on his door and asked him if he was Jose Gonzalez. As he was answering “yes,” another officer emerged from behind Officer Wolthuis. Officer Wolthuis asked Mr. Gonzalez several questions, rapid-fire, about whether he was -4- selling drugs from his house, and if others were involved in selling drugs from his house. Mr. Gonzalez, because he does “not speak the English language very well,” could not understand Officer Wolthuis that well. Gonzalez Aff. at ¶ 4. He had to ask Officer Wolthuis to repeat himself several times. When Mr. Gonzalez “finally understood” what the officer was asking, he denied that he sold drugs from his residence. Officer Wolthuis then asked Mr. Gonzalez if he could come in and search his house for drugs. Mr. Gonzalez asked the officer if he had a “piece of paper” that said he could come in (meaning a search warrant). Officer Wolthuis shrugged it off, and told him not to worry because he could “get [him] one later.” Id. at ¶ 5. The officers walked past Mr. Gonzalez into the living room, and Officer Wolthuis reached around his waistband and grabbed his handgun. At that point, Mr. Gonzalez “became scared that they were going to hurt” him if he did not cooperate. Id. at ¶ 6. Officer Wolthuis told him to sit down, asked him if anyone else was there, and started shouting “this is the Policia.” Id. at ¶ 7. Officer Wolthuis began searching the house, and Officer Collins asked Mr. Gonzalez about the drugs, saying that they were going to find them. Officer Wolthuis came back into the living room and yelled at Mr. Gonzalez, asking him to cooperate and tell him where the drugs were. Mr. Gonzalez was (again) scared that Office Wolthuis was going to hurt him. He told the officer that there was a gun underneath the mattress in his bedroom. Thirty minutes later, another officer -5- came to the residence with a dog. Officer Wolthuis said that the dog would find any drugs in the residence. More officers came. Mr. Gonzalez was questioned about the money Officer Wolthuis had found during his search. Officer Wolthuis also threatened to take away Mr. Gonzalez’s vehicles if he did not tell him the name of his “associates.” Finally, Officer Wolthuis gave Mr. Gonzalez “a form”—the search waiver—“that another officer gave him” and told him to sign his name on the line. Id. at ¶ 14. Mr. Gonzalez said he could not read or write English, and that he could not read the form. Id. Officer Wolthuis replied that Mr. Gonzalez would have to sign the form if he ever wanted his money and cars back. He signed it, thinking that the officers would hurt him if he did not sign, and because he wanted the money back. Officer Wolthuis then gave Mr. Gonzalez another form and told him to write out a statement. Officer Wolthuis told him to write exactly what he said, which was that the money was from his cousin in Arizona, and that he was keeping it for him. Mr. Gonzalez wrote out his statement (which has been quoted above); he says in his affidavit, “I did not write what he [Officer Wolthuis] told me to write because his statement was not true.” Id. at ¶ 17.