Opinion ID: 2495239
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Walker's Arrest

Text: On Sunday, July 28, 2002, at approximately 4:00 p.m., the Huntsville Police Department (the Department) received a telephone call from an individual who complained that a female driver had just mowed down several mailboxes in a residential area. Officers Watkins and Rosser were dispatched to the scene. Watkins arrived first and found Walker's car stopped in an intersection. Approaching the vehicle, Watkins saw Walker slumped over the steering wheel; the engine was running. Watkins opened the passenger door and put the transmission in park. She then opened the driver's door, lifted Walker's head and asked if she was okay. According to Watkins, Walker's response was unintelligible. Watkins then asked Walker to get out of the vehicle. At that time, Walker became what Watkins described during her deposition as combative. Watkins explained that Walker was in a dazed state, that she started swinging her arms, and that she refused to get out of her vehicle. Watkins testified that Walker's eyes were bloodshot, that her hair was in disarray, that her speech was slurred, and that she appeared very confused. In Watkins's arrest report, she described Walker as half asleep and half awake. Watkins did not smell alcohol on Walker's breath or person, and she did not ask Walker if she had been drinking or taking drugs. Watkins testified that Walker demonstrated all the same characteristics of previous [driving-under-the-influence] arrests Watkins had made. Watkins removed Walker from the vehicle and placed her on the ground using what Watkins described as a slight leg sweep. Watkins stated that she placed Walker on the ground to control her because Walker was combative and flailing her arms. Watkins handcuffed Walker and placed her under arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance (DUI) in violation of § 32-5A-191(a)(5), Ala.Code 1975, [1] and for stopping, standing, or parking in a roadway or intersection in violation of § 32-5A-137(a), Ala.Code 1975. [2] The dispatcher's log shows that just over two minutes passed between Watkins's arrival on the scene and Walker's arrest. After the arrest, Watkins searched Walker's purse and found Walker's identification and several pills that Watkins could not identify. Watkins confiscated the pills and later turned them over to the Department's evidence division. Watkins did not test Walker's breath-alcohol content or perform any other sobriety tests on Walker. She testified, however, that such tests would not be administered if the individual was uncooperative. Chief Owens, the chief of police at the time of Walker's arrest, was responsible for developing and implementing the Department's policies, primarily in the form of written directives. Chief Owens was also ultimately responsible for hiring and training the Department's employees. He testified that Huntsville police officers received 40 hours of initial training regarding DUI enforcement and arrests, including training regarding behaviors to look for and standard field-sobriety tests. Chief Owens testified that, in making DUI arrests, Huntsville police officers usually base the decision to arrest on the actions of the individual and on the officer's observations of the individual's appearance and demeanor. Specifically, Chief Owens stated that Huntsville police officers considered whether the individual had slurred speech patterns, bloodshot eyes, an odor of alcohol on the breath, and/or was incoherent. Chief Owens also stated that the officers had to determine whether it was safe enough to perform a field-sobriety test. The only written directive made a part of the record on appeal relating to DUI arrests is a directive regarding drug evidence, which relates primarily to the collection and handling of bodily fluids. It does not require that such evidence be collected, and none was ever collected from Walker. Before Watkins transferred Walker from the scene to the City's jail, Officer Rosser arrived. Rosser testified at her deposition that she arrived at the scene as Watkins was helping Walker up off the ground. Watkins testified that Rosser arrived as she was placing Walker, who was resisting, in the police vehicle. Nonetheless, it is undisputed that Rosser spoke briefly with Watkins and then proceeded to impound Walker's vehicle and to speak with the witnesses present at the scene. Rosser stated that, as she and Watkins were talking, Walker said that she needed to get dressed and asked what Rosser and Watkins were doing in her living room. Rosser described Walker as looking wild and stated that Walker did not understand what was going on. In her incident report, Rosser stated: The female appeared to be under the influence of narcotics. The female kept ranting about needing to get dressed. She had no idea where she was or who we were. Ronald Sheaffer, a resident of the neighborhood where Walker was arrested, stated in an affidavit that he saw Walker drive slowly through his neighbor's yard, back up and move forward several times, drive on the wrong side of the street, hit a mailbox without stopping, continue off the street onto a sidewalk, and finally stop in the intersection where she was arrested. Sheaffer witnessed Walker's arrest. He stated that when Watkins assisted Walker out of her vehicle, he noticed that Walker had bruises on both of her arms and on her eyes. Rosser and Watkins testified that they did not recall noticing that Walker was bruised. Sheaffer stated: It was obvious to me from my observation of Ms. Walker's appearance and demeanor after she exited her car, coupled with my observation of her driving, that Ms. Walker was drunk. Another witness, Kathy Sue Werndli, whose mailbox Walker had driven into, also saw Walker's arrest. She stated in an affidavit that she saw Walker become physically aggressive with Watkins and that Watkins perform[ed] a gentle maneuver which resulted in Ms. Walker going to the ground. Werndli stated: it was obvious to me by [Walker's] behavior and appearance that she was either drunk or under the influence of drugs. Werndli also stated that she did not observe Watkins or Rosser mistreat Walker in any way. Werndli's account differed slightly from Watkins's and Sheaffer's in that she stated that she saw Walker get out of her vehicle on her own. Both Watkins and Rosser testified that they believed that Watkins was under the influence of alcohol or drugs because she displayed symptoms characteristic of persons under the influence. Watkins testified that she did not believe that Walker needed medical attention and that she would have called paramedics to the scene if she had known Walker needed medical treatment. Both Watkins and Rosser testified that they had received training in first aid and CPR. Watkins testified that she did not receive any training on how to distinguish between intoxication and a medical condition presenting similar symptoms. Watkins transported Walker to the City's jail shortly after her arrest while Rosser impounded Walker's vehicle and completed an incident report. The Department's written directive regarding arrest procedures does not state under what circumstances a prisoner should be transported to the hospital instead of to the jail. The Department's written directive regarding the transportation of prisoners states: Any prisoner who is injured prior to or during an arrest will not be transported to the City detention facility until he/she has been transported to and offered treatment at an approved medical facility. That directive defines an injury as any broken bone, cut in the skin requiring stitches, or any other injury or condition a supervisor or detention facility officer determines must be treated. It does not state any specific procedures regarding prisoners who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs or regarding prisoners who are ill, except those with contagious disease. Chief Owens testified that the arresting officer typically would make the decision whether to transfer a prisoner to the hospital instead of to jail. Chief Owens did not recall any written guideline detailing when an officer should transport a prisoner to the hospital instead of to jail.