Opinion ID: 777318
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Officers' Forced Entry Into Second Floor Room

Text: 32 Finally, Koch argues that the officers violated his Fourth Amendment rights by forcing open the door to his second-floor room. 33 Another specifically established exception to the warrant requirement is entry pursuant to exigent circumstances. Payton v. New York, 445 U.S. 573, 598, 100 S.Ct. 1371, 63 L.Ed.2d 639 (1980). [P]olice may enter a dwelling without a warrant to render emergency aid and assistance to a person whom they reasonably believe to be in distress and in need of that assistance. Tierney v. Davidson, 133 F.3d 189, 196 (2d Cir.1998) (citing Root v. Gauper, 438 F.2d 361, 364 (8th Cir.1971)). Probable cause for a forced entry in response to exigent circumstances requires finding a probability that a person is in `danger.' Kerman v. City of New York, 261 F.3d 229, 236 (2d Cir.2001). 34 Given Lake's knowledge of Koch's propensity for erratic behavior and the abrupt manner in which Reed vanished inside his room, we agree with the district court that the police's belief that Reed was in danger was reasonable. Therefore, summary judgment was appropriate because the officers reasonably believed that exigent circumstances justified their entry.