Opinion ID: 780379
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Officer Chris Krupa

Text: 36 Combs asserts that when he placed his face near the broken window in his cell, Officer Krupa sprayed him in the eyes and face with liquid mace and ordered him to move away from the window. The district court determined that Combs failed to establish that Krupa's conduct was malicious or sadistic, citing cases in which courts have recognized that the use of mace to control a prison inmate is not malicious or sadistic. See, e.g., Thomas v. Greene, No. 99-3179, 1999 WL 1253102 (6th Cir. Dec.17, 1999) (affirming the dismissal of an excessive force claim by an inmate who was maced when he refused to consent to a strip search). The district court stated: Keeping in mind that Defendant Krupa acted in the context of [a] prison disturbance in which prison officials had lost control of the unit, this Court must lend substantial deference to his decision to use mace, which he made in haste and under significant pressure. We agree and affirm the summary judgment in favor of Krupa. 37