Opinion ID: 624130
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Threat Posed

Text: In Oliver, the decedent “did not act belligerently or aggressively” towards officers, by-standers, or himself. Oliver, 586 F.3d at 908. Here, however, only a brief period of time had passed since Allen’s very aggressive actions towards Cooks. Allen’s acts were contemporaneous with repeated threats to kill Cooks, whom Allen believed to be a demon. Also weighing against Allen is the fact that Cooks waited for back-up to arrive so he could have assistance in making the arrest. Further, Allen continued to pose a danger during the time when only one of his hands was handcuffed; without both hands shackled, the single handcuff could be used as a weapon. This combination of an assault, battery, very unusual behavior, and threats to kill Cooks7 would weigh against a conclusion that Cooks’s and Harkleroad’s behavior was “so far beyond the hazy border between excessive and acceptable 7 As noted supra at footnote 3, Plaintiffs’ expert believes that Allen was likely in a state of “excited delirium,” the symptoms of which include imperviousness to pain, great strength, bizarre behavior, aggression, and hallucinations. 13 force” that they had to know they were “violating the Constitution even without caselaw on point.” Mattox, 127 F.3d at 1419.