Opinion ID: 2974569
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Jesse Snader

Text: Viewing the facts in a light most favorable to the non-moving party, Jesse Snader was surrendering at the time that Officer Taylor struck him with his baton. In light of this action, he has alleged facts sufficient to establish a genuine issue of material fact as to whether Officer Taylor used excessive force in arresting him on October 23, 2003. Snader claims that Officer Taylor struck him on the back of his head while chasing Snader, after Snader had announced that he was slowing down. After striking Snader, Officer Taylor allegedly tackled him and sat on Snader’s back with a choke hold, while other officers caught up and subsequently struck Taylor in his legs. Defendants argue that Snader had not surrendered at the time that he was struck by Officer Taylor because, although he announced that he was stopping, he had yet to come to a complete stop. We disagree. We find it particularly important that in this case, Snader allegedly yelled “I’m stopping!” in response to Officer Taylor’s instruction that he would shoot Snader if he did not stop. Snader’s alleged response shows that he was compliant with Officer Taylor’s order and in the act of surrendering when struck by Officer Taylor. A jury could therefore find that Officer Taylor’s use of his asp was unjustified and gratuitous. We also find it significant that Officer Taylor struck Snader on the head. We have noted repeatedly that a blow to an individual’s head may constitute excessive force, see, e.g., Bultema v. Benzie County, 146 F. App’x 28, 36 (6th Cir. 2005) (unpublished); Phelps, 286 F.3d at 302; Davis v. Bergeron, No. 98-3812, 1999 U.S. App. LEXIS 17984, at -13 (6th Cir. July 27, 1999) (unpublished), and in the circumstances alleged by Snader, Officer Taylor’s strike to such a sensitive and vitally important part of Snader’s body was objectively unreasonable. Even if we were to agree with defendants that Officer Taylor’s use of his asp was necessary to subdue Snader – and we6do not – Officer Taylor could have struck Snader in another, less sensitive part of Snader’s body. Because a jury could find that Snader was surrendering at the time he was struck in the head, we likewise conclude that Officer Taylor’s use of his asp was gratuitous. As we discussed above, Snader’s right to be free from a gratuitous strike to the head was clearly established at the time of this incident. See, e.g., Phelps, 286 F.3d at 301-02; McDowell, 863 F.2d at 1307. Officer Taylor, therefore, may not avail himself of qualified immunity for the Snader incident.