Opinion ID: 3014824
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Storming of Smith’s House and Shed

Text: Our conclusion that a reasonable officer would not have 7 In Smith I, we suggested that the fact that SERT was activated before a warrant had been obtained was relevant to the question whether the use of force was excessive. See 318 F.3d at 517. Several defendants testified that, absent exigent circumstances, SERT is typically not activated unless a warrant has been issued or steps have been taken to obtain one. While this fact is certainly relevant to the reasonableness inquiry, we do not think it outweighs the other factors which militate in favor of concluding that a reasonable officer would not have concluded that the decision to activate SERT violated Smith’s Fourth Amendment rights. As we held in Smith I, probable cause existed for the police to obtain an arrest warrant for Smith. See 318 F.3d at 515. Their failure to do so prior to the decision to activate SERT does not necessarily imply that a reasonable officer would have realized that activating SERT violated Smith’s constitutional rights. 14 believed that the decision to activate SERT was unlawful does not necessarily entail that the same is true of all subsequent decisions regarding the use of SERT. Our review of the Sharrar factors leads us to conclude that, when the facts are viewed in the light most favorable to the plaintiffs, a reasonable officer would have concluded that the decision to storm Smith’s shed and house using flash-bang distraction devices violated Smith’s constitutional rights. We reach this conclusion for several reasons. First, the immediacy and severity of the threat had significantly lessened in the time between the activation of SERT and the decision to enter Smith’s house. More precisely, at least six hours had elapsed between Marasco and Scianna’s call to the PCO and the storming of Smith’s house. See 318 F.3d at 517. During this time, with the exception of the possible sighting in the backyard, the troopers had had no contact with Smith. Thus, while a reasonable officer could have concluded that the initial nature of the threat justified activating SERT, we also think that a reasonable officer would have reassessed the danger Smith posed during the intervening hours. More importantly, during the time that elapsed between the activation of SERT and the decision to storm Smith’s house and shed, the members of SERT had learned a great deal more about Smith’s medical condition. By the time the decision to storm the house was made, the leadership of the SERT team was aware that Smith had heart problems and that he suffered from flashbacks to Vietnam. Given Smith’s medical condition, a reasonable officer would have concluded that the physical force used “was of such extent to lead to injury.” See Sharrar, 128 F.3d at 822. Indeed, plaintiffs’ police practices expert, Dr. Paul McCauley, concluded that the officers’ conduct “fell below accepted police practices” for dealing with Emotionally Disturbed Persons (EDPs). We therefore think that, under these circumstances, a reasonable officer would have recognized that an assault on Smith’s house involving the use of flash-bang distraction devices, and a similar assault on his shed using tear gas constituted an excessive use of force. We recognize that, in certain situations, the volatile nature of a suspect will weigh in favor of a greater show of force. In all such cases, however, the officer’s actions must be evaluated in 15 light of the factors listed in Sharrar. When viewing the facts in the light most favorable to the Smiths, we believe that a reasonable officer would have concluded that, at the time the decision was made, Smith did not pose a threat that was sufficiently serious and immediate as to require storming his house.8 At all events, a reasonable officer would have recognized the significant risk that Smith would suffer serious harm as a result of the decision to do so. Balancing these considerations, we think that a reasonable officer would have concluded that storming the house would violate Smith’s constitutional rights. It is useful to compare the decision to activate SERT with the decision to enter Smith’s house and shed using the tactics employed here. There can be no dispute that the force employed in storming the house and shed was far greater than that used in the deployment of SERT. In addition, as the result of the report of Trooper Krawczel, see supra n. 2, the troopers had at least some more knowledge of Smith’s medical condition at the time they decided to storm the house than they did at the time SERT was activated. Finally, we think a reasonable officer would have concluded that the threat posed by Smith had lessened in the intervening several hours. Thus, in areas critical to the Sharrar analysis, the decision to storm Smith’s house was less justified than the decision to activate SERT.9 8 There is some evidence that the troopers were concerned about the possibility that Smith’s wife, who was not present that evening, might be at risk. If the officers reasonably believed they were dealing with a hostage situation, then our analysis would be very different. However, there is insufficient evidence in the record for us to conclude that the decision to enter Smith’s house was made primarily out of a concern for Mrs. Smith’s safety. Indeed, Trooper Marasco testified that, at some point that night, he learned that Mrs. Smith was away. 9 The officers submit that the facts of Sharrar itself require us to conclude that it would not have been clear to a reasonable officer that the force used in this case was unreasonable. In Sharrar, the police responded to a report from a woman who had been assaulted by four men, including her estranged husband, who 16 We therefore conclude that the District Court erred in granting summary judgment to defendants Fetterolf and Hall with respect to the decision to storm Smith’s house and shed. Fetterolf and Hall were responsible for directing the other members of the SERT team, and thus were responsible for the decision to enter Smith’s residence and shed. In addition, we conclude that the District Court erred in granting summary judgment with respect to defendant Marcantino. Marcantino, who served as the Troop Commander for Troop L, was camping in Huntington, Pennsylvania on the night of the 10th. Fetterolf testified that he contacted Marcantino and that Marcantino approved of the plan to enter Smith’s residence. Marcantino testified that he spoke to Fetterolf, but he did not indicate that he approved the decision to enter the residence. He claimed that he gave Fetterolf no directions. At this stage, however, we must assume that a jury would credit Fetterolf’s version. If Marcantino did, in fact, approve the decision to enter the residence as well as the methods employed to do so, he is not entitled to qualified immunity.