Opinion ID: 323192
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: 2 Although considerable uncertainty surrounding the factual details of this shocking case remains even after trial, sufficient uncontroverted evidence was adduced during the course of the proceedings to permit a reconstruction of the general chain of events culminating in young Yates' self-inflicted death, on December 24, 1971, while incarcerated in the Booneville city jail. On this tragic Christmas Eve, defendants Chaffin and McGaughy, members of the Booneville police force, received a dispatch directing them to a trailer to investigate a disturbance. As they neared the trailer, the officers noticed a youth, later identified as Carey Yates, age 15, walking along the sidewalk. As the officers watched him, Yates lit and threw what they later determined to be a cherry bomb. 5 They immediately drove toward Yates, but did not use the patrol car's siren or blue light to identify themselves. One of the officers called to Yates to halt. Despite this command, Yates dashed behind the front hedge of a nearby residence. The officers leaped from their car and pursued Yates on foot. As Officer Chaffin neared his hiding place, Yates darted from the bush and ran directly into Officer McGaughy, causing both to tumble to the ground. When the officers lifted Yates from the ground, they noticed he was bleeding from the area around his nose and mouth. Yates was immediately taken to the Booneville city jail. After being searched for any remaining firecrackers, Yates was booked and taken to the 'drunk' cell, admittedly without being advised of his constitutional rights, afforded an opportunity to call his mother, or given any medical treatment. 6 Minutes later, young Carey Yates was found dead in his cell, having used his belt to hang himself. 3 The alleged deprivation of decedent's rights during his apprehension and detention is the basis for administratrix's claim for damages. Plaintiff asserts that the defendants, acting independently and in concert, applied excessive force during the apprehension and search of Yates, failed to provide the necessary medical treatment and supervision that was required because of the youth's obviously irrational state of mind, and deprived him of other federal constitutional and state statutory rights; and that these wrongful and negligent acts preyed upon Yates' immature mind, destroying his ability to reason, and thus precipitating his suicide. 7 Defendants reply by stating that they used only that amount of force necessary to apprehend and incarcerate Yates because of his inebriated condition and violent reactions 8 and that either his intoxication or some other emotional instability, or a combination of the two, completely unrelated in origin to the defendants' actions, solely caused him to take his own life.