Opinion ID: 6343803
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Deputy Perkinson

Text: The district court ruled that Deputy Perkinson was entitled to qualified immunity because the Estate’s deliberate indifference claim against him was not supported by sufficient evidence. Deputy Perkinson sought the assistance of Nurse Workman, the district court explained, and reasonably relied on her medical expertise to treat and assess Mr. Beauford’s condition. On appeal, the Estate argues reversal is required because Deputy Perkinson failed to summon medical attention when it was obvious Mr. Beauford needed emergency care. We are not persuaded. 12 The district court, relying on Richardson v. McKnight, 521 U.S. 399 (1997), rejected the assertion of qualified immunity by the Individual Medical Defendants. Aplt. App. vol. 12 at 3308-10. While acknowledging our court had not yet reached the question, the district court found it compelling that “every other circuit to address the issue has determined that McKnight precludes the application of qualified immunity to private medical professionals hired to work in a prison.” Id. at 3310. The parties have not challenged this ruling on appeal and for good reason. Six months after the district court entered its amended summary judgment order, we decided Tanner v. McMurray, 989 F.3d 860, 874 (10th Cir. 2021), and like our sister circuits, held qualified immunity is not available to private medical professionals employed full-time in a detention facility. 17 Appellate Case: 21-1010 Document: 010110688637 Date Filed: 05/25/2022 Page: 18 The Estate’s contentions of error regarding Deputy Perkinson involve three specific incidents on the night of Mr. Beauford’s death. First, the Estate argues Deputy Perkinson was deliberately indifferent for “fail[ing] to check on or even ask [Mr.] Beauford what was happening during the 7:50 p.m. [security] check” when he observed Mr. Beauford grunting under his blanket. Aplt. Opening Br. at 50. To satisfy the subjective inquiry, the Supreme Court requires actual knowledge: “the official must both be aware of facts from which the inference could be drawn that a substantial risk of serious harm exists, and he must also draw the inference.” Farmer, 511 U.S. at 837 (emphases added). A “factfinder may conclude that a prison official knew of a substantial risk from the very fact that the risk was obvious.” Id. at 842. But this exception requires that such risks present themselves as obvious to the so-called “reasonable man.” See Mata, 427 F.3d at 752 (citing Garrett v. Stratman, 254 F.3d 946, 950 (10th Cir. 2001)). Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the Estate, it would not have been “obvious” to Deputy Perkinson at 7:50 p.m. that Mr. Beauford was having a seizure and required emergency medical care such that a reasonable jury could infer deliberate indifference. See id. Hours after Mr. Beauford died, Deputy Perkinson was interviewed and said only that Mr. Beauford was “under his blanket and grunting.” Aplt. App. vol. 8 at 2283. The Estate contends that, according to Deputy Perkinson’s observation, Mr. Beauford was obviously experiencing a seizure. While it is possible Deputy Perkinson witnessed a seizure at 7:50 p.m., the Estate has pointed to no evidence showing Deputy Perkinson believed Mr. Beauford was seizing or otherwise drew the 18 Appellate Case: 21-1010 Document: 010110688637 Date Filed: 05/25/2022 Page: 19 inference Mr. Beauford faced a substantial risk of serious harm to his health or safety. See Farmer, 511 U.S. at 837; cf. Martinez v. Beggs, 563 F.3d 1082, 1088 (10th Cir. 2009) (“The Supreme Court [has] cautioned that ‘an inadvertent failure to provide adequate medical care’ does not rise to a constitutional violation.” (quoting Estelle, 429 U.S. at 105-06)). Thus, the Estate has not carried its burden to show that Deputy Perkinson’s failure to check on Mr. Beauford during the 7:50 p.m. rounds amounted to deliberate indifference. Deputy Perkinson recognized more troubling physical signs one hour later while on medication rounds with Nurse Workman. At that time, Mr. Beauford was in his cell and still “on the bed, and completely covered by a blanket.” Aplt. App. vol. 8 at 2283. Deputy Perkinson’s “first thought was Mr. Beauford was again masturbating, however due to how he was shaking [Deputy] Perkinson had a second thought that Mr. Beauford may be seizing.” Id. (emphasis added). Deputy Perkinson and Nurse Workman entered Mr. Beauford’s cell and discovered he was having a seizure. They stayed with Mr. Beauford until his seizure ended. And they both returned to check on him about thirty minutes later. The Estate argues that despite observing Mr. Beauford suffer “an over-fiveminute seizure, combined with an unusually long postictal [or, recovery] state,” Deputy Perkinson was deliberately indifferent because he “did not transport [Mr.] Beauford for emergent medical treatment at a hospital.” Aplt. Opening Br. at 50. The Estate also maintains Deputy Perkinson “unreasonably rel[ied] on [Nurse] 19 Appellate Case: 21-1010 Document: 010110688637 Date Filed: 05/25/2022 Page: 20 Workman’s obviously deficient advice for the care of [Mr.] Beauford when it was clear [he] needed emergency medical attention.” Id. The district court rejected this deliberate indifference claim, reasoning that Deputy Perkinson “recognized a potential risk, asked the medical health professional what to do about it, and followed her advice. Whether [he] might have done more doesn’t alter the fact that what [he] did do is not a constitutional violation.” Aplt. App. vol. 12 at 3304. We agree. Prison officials generally may rely on the advice and course of treatment prescribed by medical personnel. See McRaven v. Sanders, 577 F.3d 974, 981 (8th Cir. 2009) (“[A] prison official may rely on a medical professional’s opinion if such reliance is reasonable.”); Johnson v. Doughty, 433 F.3d 1001, 1010 (7th Cir. 2006) (“Except in the unusual case where it would be evident to a layperson that a prisoner is receiving inadequate or inappropriate treatment, prison officials may reasonably rely on the judgment of medical professionals.”) (citation omitted). Here, the evidence, viewed in the light most favorable to the Estate, shows Nurse Workman took the lead in providing medical care to Mr. Beauford, while Deputy Perkinson helped securely hold him on the bed and “calm him down.” Aplt. App. vol. 5 at 1390. They stayed with Mr. Beauford “until the seizure was over. And then when [Nurse Workman] decided it was okay to leave, [they] exited the cell.” Id. at 1390. When Deputy Perkinson returned later with Nurse Workman to check on Mr. Beauford, they found him uncooperative. Mr. Beauford said, “something to the effect [of] ‘no, leave me alone, let me go back to sleep.’” Aplt. App. vol. 8 at 2284. Deputy 20 Appellate Case: 21-1010 Document: 010110688637 Date Filed: 05/25/2022 Page: 21 Perkinson performed two more security checks before rotating off Cedar Pod; both times Mr. Beauford was lying on his bed with the light off in his cell and did not appear to be “in any type of medical distress.” Id. As the district court correctly determined, this series of events does not evince deliberate indifference by Deputy Perkinson to Mr. Beauford’s serious medical needs sufficient to satisfy the subjective component of the Eighth Amendment inquiry. Sealock, 218 F.3d at 1209. Deputy Perkinson alerted Nurse Workman to Mr. Beauford’s “shaking” out of concern that Mr. Beauford may be seizing. Aplt. App. vol. 8 at 2283. As a result, Mr. Beauford actually received medical care during a critical time. That his condition worsened hours later does not mean Deputy Perkinson acted with deliberate indifference at 8:40 p.m. Finally, the Estate contends Deputy Perkinson acted with deliberate indifference by failing to relay to medical personnel that, as Deputy Dalrymple reported, Mr. Beauford was shaking at 9:00 p.m. Again, we disagree. The video surveillance footage shows Nurse Workman checking on Mr. Beauford after Deputy Dalrymple’s security round. Aplt. App. vol. 8 at 2383. Even if Deputy Perkinson failed to relay the report as the Estate contends, this was immaterial under the circumstances. 21 Appellate Case: 21-1010 Document: 010110688637 Date Filed: 05/25/2022 Page: 22 The district court correctly determined the Estate failed to establish a constitutional violation. Thus, we affirm the grant of summary judgment to Deputy Perkinson under the first prong of the qualified immunity analysis.13