Opinion ID: 3000549
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Sergeant Krummick

Text: In summarizing the facts relating to Sergeant Krummick, the district court stated that Sergeant Krummick claimed that he “was told that Gonzalo Duran had thrown a bottle or can at [DeCianni] and that [DeCianni] wanted him arrested.” District Court Opinion at 70. The district court also stated that “Gonzalo denies that he threw a bottle or can at DeCianni. He also denies that DeCianni ever claimed at the time that he was struck by a bottle or can; rather, he states that DeCianni merely told Krummick that the music was too loud.” District Court Opinion at 70. The district court then concluded that “there are factual issues involved in the reasonableness determination on the false arrest claim,” and that therefore “Krummick’s motion for summary judgment is denied as to Gonzalo Duran’s false arrest claim. . . .” District Court Opinion at 71. As explained above, this court lacks jurisdiction to review the record to determine whether the district court’s view of the facts is adequately supported by the record evidence. See supra at 4. However, this court has jurisdiction to address the legal question of whether the facts, as set forth by the district court, violate clearly established constitutional norms. See supra at 6. In this case, as the district court explained, there are some factual disputes, namely whether Gonzalo threw a bottle or can at Officer DeCianni and whether Officer DeCianni told Sergeant Krummick that Gonzalo had thrown a bottle or can at him, or merely told him the music was too loud. These factual disputes are immaterial, though, because Gonzalo (at least based on the facts set forth by the district court) did not challenge Sergeant Krummick’s claim that Officer DeCianni told him that he wanted Gonzalo arrested. An officer may reasonably rely on information provided by other officers. Martinez v. Simonetti, 202 F.3d 625, 634 (2d Cir. 2000). Thus, “[t]he police who actually make the arrest need not personally know all the facts Nos. 05-4278 & 05-4590 Page 13 that constitute probable cause if they reasonably are acting at the direction of another officer or police agency. United States v. Parra, 402 F.3d 752, 764 (7th Cir. 2005) (quoting Tangwall v. Stuckey, 135 F.3d 510, 517 (7th Cir.1998). Under those circumstances, an “arrest is proper so long as the knowledge of the officer directing the arrest, or the collective knowledge of the agency he works for, is sufficient to constitute probable cause.” Parra, 402 F.3d at 764 (quoting Tangwall, 135 F.3d at 517. In this case there are factual disputes that prevent us from determining whether probable cause supported Officer DeCianni’s directive to arrest Gonzalo. Nevertheless, “where a police officer makes an arrest on the basis of oral statements by fellow officers, an officer will be entitled to qualified immunity from liability in a civil rights suit for unlawful arrest provided it was objectively reasonable for him to believe, on the basis of the statements, that probable cause for the arrest existed.” Rogers v. Powell, 120 F.3d 446, 455 (3d Cir. 1997). Under the circumstances of this case, we conclude that it was objectively reasonable for Sergeant Krummick to rely on Officer DeCianni’s statement as a basis for believing probable cause existed to arrest Gonzalo. In other circumstances it might be appropriate for an officer to first obtain additional information regarding the basis for the arrest. But here Sergeant Krummick had no time to reflect. He was part of a group of reinforcing officers who had just been dispatched to the already chaotic scene. The officers were still mostly outnumbered by the partygoers, and the situation was apparently escalating. Under these circumstances, Sergeant Krummick could reasonably rely on Officer DeCianni’s statement that he wanted Gonzalo arrested as a basis for that arrest. Accordingly, Sergeant Krummick was entitled to qualified immunity. Therefore, we reverse the district court’s denial of summary judgment to Sergeant Krummick on the false arrest claim brought by Gonzalo.