Opinion ID: 496265
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Nunez

Text: 17 Nunez alleges that he was unlawfully seized when the INS agents grabbed him by the shoulder in order to get him to answer questions. The district court held that although an agent did grab Nunez, he held him so briefly that any detention did not amount to a fourth amendment seizure. We agree. 18 A person has been seized within the meaning of the fourth amendment if, in view of all the circumstances surrounding the incident, a reasonable person would have believed that he was not free to leave. INS v. Delgado, 466 U.S. 210, 215, 104 S.Ct. 1758, 1762, 80 L.Ed.2d 247 (1984); United States v. Erwin, 803 F.2d 1505, 1508 (9th Cir.1986); United States v. Patino, 649 F.2d 724, 727 (9th Cir.1981). [C]ircumstances that might indicate a seizure, even where the person did not attempt to leave, [include] the threatening presence of several officers, the display of a weapon by an officer, some physical touching of the person of the citizen, or the use of language or tone of voice indicating that compliance with the officer's request might be compelled. United States v. Anderson, 663 F.2d 934, 939 (9th Cir.1981), quoting United States v. Mendenhall, 446 U.S. 544, 554, 100 S.Ct. 1870, 1877, 64 L.Ed.2d 497 (1980) (opinion of Stewart, J.). 19 In determining whether a seizure occurred in the context of immigration surveys of factories, we look to Delgado. Delgado held that no seizure occurs so long as INS agent conduct does not give workers reason to believe that they would be detained if they gave truthful answers to the questions put to them or if they simply refused to answer. 466 U.S. at 218, 104 S.Ct. at 1763. In particular, in Delgado, one example of hands-on touching, a tap on the shoulder to attract attention, was held not to constitute a seizure. Id. at 220, 104 S.Ct. at 1764. 20 We find no significant difference between the Delgado shoulder tap and the Nunez encounter. The evidence shows that one of the officers grabbed Nunez to get his attention, and released him as soon as Nunez turned to face him. Compare Sokolow, 808 F.2d at 1369 (a seizure occurred when officers grabbed, moved, and forcibly seated an individual). Nunez testified that he was not afraid of the agents. At their request he showed them his papers, and then left. It does not appear that Nunez was pressured into answering questions or restrained. He was thus not seized within the meaning of the fourth amendment.