Opinion ID: 1725466
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Assault on Danneel Miller

Text: Even if Officer Noullet was acting as a police officer when he attempted to break up the fight involving his brother, he clearly was not acting in that capacity when he assaulted Miller. The tortious assault on Miller clearly was motivated by Officer Noullet's purely personal considerations, entirely extraneous to the City's interests in keeping the peace. Although only a few minutes elapsed between Wade Noullet's departure and the events which culminated in Miller's injuries, we must examine this temporal element in light of Officer Noullet's general conduct and specific tortious acts. The fracas had subsided after Wade Noullet fired shots into the air and left the scene. When Officer Noullet returned to his automobile unhindered by the crowd, he simply could have left the scene. However, he chose to remain at the scene and to confront and assault Miller. Even under Officer Noullet's version, Miller did not provoke him, and her innocent conduct was not illegal or threatening in any manner. Clearly, Officer Noullet's attack on Miller was not in any manner employment-related. Neither was this conduct in any manner related to Officer Noullet's previous effort to restore the peace. Officer Noullet's purpose was not to compel Miller to comply with a valid police order or to protect anyone from harm by Miller; [7] rather, his purpose was purely personal and motivated by a desire to harm Miller, apparently because she had announced her intent to report his brother's fight. Most significantly, this assault, whatever the motivation, was totally unrelated to his duties as a police officer. We thus conclude Officer Noullet was acting outside of the course and scope of his employment when he assaulted Miller. [8]