Opinion ID: 1033644
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: introduction

Text: Defendant Johnny Barrientos, a deputy of the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Department, appeals the district court’s denial of his motion for summary judgment in a 28 U.S.C. § 1983 action brought by Lucia Fancher, individually and on behalf of the estate of her son, Nick Dominguez. Fancher alleges Barrientos used excessive force in violation of the Fourth Amendment when he shot Dominguez seven times following a confrontation in Mesquite, New Mexico. Dominguez died as a result of one or more gunshot wounds. Barrientos asserts he is entitled to qualified immunity because his use of deadly force was objectively reasonable and did not violate clearly established law. The district court granted Barrientos’s motion for summary judgment to the extent Fancher’s claim arose from the firing of the initial shot, but denied the motion to the extent the claim arose from the firing of the subsequent six shots. On appeal, Barrientos makes three arguments. First, he asserts the district court erred in analyzing the second through seventh shots separately from the first shot. Next, he argues the district court did not sufficiently consider the risks posed to third parties in analyzing the reasonableness of shots two through seven. Finally, he argues the law was not clearly established that his actions violated the Fourth Amendment. This court lacks jurisdiction to consider the first two arguments, and is unpersuaded by the third. Thus, exercising jurisdiction -2- pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291, this court affirms the denial of summary judgment by the district court. 1