Opinion ID: 1535099
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Illegal Arrest, Excessive Force, and Immunity

Text: [¶ 31] The analysis of the state law claims of illegal arrest and excessive force is the same as for the federal law claims. As we discussed above, a jury could not reasonably find that Godfrey and Stacy lacked probable cause for Richards' arrest. Thus, the officers are entitled to summary judgment on a state law claim for illegal arrest. However, Richards has demonstrated genuine and material factual issues on the excessive force claim, and the officers are not entitled to summary judgment on that state law claim. [8] [¶ 32] The police officers are not entitled to summary judgment on the excessive force claim based on their defense of immunity under the Maine Tort Claims Act, which gives governmental employees absolute immunity when performing a discretionary act, 14 M.R.S.A. § 8111(1)(C) (Supp.2000), as long as that act is encompassed by the duties of the governmental employee, § 8111(1). If a police officer's conduct exceeds the scope of his discretion, he may lose the immunity. See Polley v. Atwell, 581 A.2d 410, 413-14 (Me.1990). If the officer uses excessive force in executing an arrest, such action is beyond the scope of the officer's discretion. In determining whether a police officer has used excessive force, the same reasonableness factors articulated in Graham v. Connor are relevant. 490 U.S. at 396, 109 S.Ct. 1865. Officers whose actions are `objectively reasonable' in light of the facts and circumstances confronting them, id., are not acting beyond the scope of their discretion and are immune under the Maine Tort Claims Act. In this case there is a genuine issue of material fact as to whether Godfrey and Stacy used excessive force against Richards. See Hodsdon v. Town of Greenville, 52 F.Supp.2d 117, 126 (D.Me.1999) (finding genuine issue of material fact on scope of officer's discretion where plaintiff alleged that officer kicked him, banged his head on hood of car, handcuffed him with unnecessary force, and repeatedly slammed his face into the ground); Comfort, 924 F.Supp. at 1237 (finding genuine issue of material fact on scope of officers' discretion based on allegation that officers handcuffed plaintiff, hit him in head, and shoved his head against door jamb).