Opinion ID: 1385884
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Armes

Text: On April 30, 2002, Marlowe was forced off the road by a suspected drunk driver named Paul Armes. Marlowe, who was off-duty at the time, followed Armes, called the authorities, and waited until Armes was under arrest before going on his way. The arresting officer described Armes as uncooperative but not threatening or physically aggressive, and testified that a breathalyzer test showed Armes to have a blood alcohol level of .17. After booking him, Conatser and Bradley took Armes to the detox cell. According to Bradley, Armes was unsteady on his feet and staggered toward them. While Bradley did not feel threatened by Armes, Conatser testified that he did and reacted by striking Armes once in the face. Bradley then restrained Armes, who did not resist. As Conatser and Bradley left the cell, Conatser realized that he had seriously injured a knuckle. According to Conatser, Armes began banging on the cell door and he went in with another officer named Christopher McCathern. Armes charged McCathern, who forced Armes to the ground and held him there until he calmed down. Later, Marlowe came to the jail, spoke with Conatser, and went into the cell where Armes was being held. Bradley testified that Marlowe, who appeared fairly angry, went into Armes's cell from which Bradley could hear yelling and the sound of blows, grunts, and groans. Bradley testified that one could hear the distinctive sounds of blows being struck from the booking desk, which was located approximately 20 feet away from the cell. Marlowe went outside to cool off, then went back into the cell and resumed yelling and hitting Armes. Bradley then went into the cell and sprayed Armes with a chemical agent. At some point after Marlowe arrived at the jail, Conatser went to get medical attention for his knuckle. Marlowe, Conatser, and Bradley wrote reports about the incident. Conatser stated that he avoided an initial punch from Armes and then hit Armes after he continued to fight and resist. Bradley testified that although his report described Armes as having lunged at him and Conatser, it was more accurate to say that Armes had staggered toward them. Marlowe's report did not mention any use of force. Westmoreland and Hale, neither of whom had been at the jail that night, testified that Marlowe told them about the incident. Specifically, Marlowe told Hale that he called the jail before arriving and told the officers to handle it until he got there, and that after the second or third blow he had felt Armes's face crush and it felt like mush. Westmoreland testified that Marlowe said he had beat the shit out of Armes for running him off the road. Armes did not receive medical attention at the jail. Evidence at trial showed that Armes's cheekbone was broken in three places, two metal plates were surgically implanted to treat the fractures, and a facial nerve was damaged.