No. 22-1151

City of Arlington, Texas v. De'On Crane, et al.

Lower Court: Fifth Circuit
Docketed: 2023-05-30
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)
Tags: arrest-warrant fourth-amendment municipal-liability qualified-immunity reasonable-officer-standard traffic-stop use-of-force whren-v-united-states
Key Terms:
SocialSecurity FourthAmendment CriminalProcedure JusticiabilityDoctri
Latest Conference: 2023-10-27 (distributed 2 times)
Related Cases: 22-1157 (Vide)
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Where a suspect with an outstanding felony arrest warrant refuses repeated commands to turn off his car and exit the vehicle, would a reasonable officer conclude that the suspect poses a risk of serious harm?

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTIONS PRESENTED Rather than submit to arrest pursuant to multiple lawfully issued arrest warrants, a suspect who was pulled over for a traffic violation refused to exit his vehicle or even turn off his car’s engine. Ultimately, three police officers arrived on the scene. After repeated commands to turn off the engine and exit the vehicle were ignored, the defendant officer entered the rear of the vehicle, at which point: the suspect struggled with the defendant officer; the engine revved causing the tires to spin, and the vehicle to smoke and sway from side to side; the vehicle went into reverse, running over another officer; the vehicle then went into drive running over that officer a second time; and the suspect fled the scene with the defendant officer still struggling with the suspect, partly in and partly out of the car. The defendant officer fired his service pistol during the melee, resulting in the suspect’s death. The questions presented are: (1) Where a suspect with an outstanding felony arrest warrant refuses repeated commands to turn off his car and exit the vehicle, clearly states he will not surrender, struggles with an officer in the vehicle while revving the car’s engine, making the tires spin, and causing the car to smoke and sway from side to side, would a reasonable officer, who is half in and half out of the vehicle, conclude that the suspect poses a risk of serious harm to the officer or others? (2) Does a police officer attempting to execute a lawful arrest warrant against a suspect in a car who is struggling with the officer and revving his vehicle, making the tires spin and causing it to smoke and sway side to u side, “obviously” violate the suspect’s Fourth Amendment rights by deploying deadly force just before the car reverses running over his fellow officer? (3) Can the mere existence of a municipal policy of allowing traffic stops, lawful under Whren v. United States, 517 U.S. 806 (1996), without more, constitute the moving force behind a subsequent unlawful use of force sufficient to impose municipal liability for such use of force?

Docket Entries

2023-10-30
Petition DENIED.
2023-10-04
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/27/2023.
2023-09-28
2023-07-21
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including September 18, 2023, for all respondents.
2023-07-20
Motion to extend the time to file a response from August 18, 2023 to September 18, 2023, submitted to The Clerk.
2023-07-19
Response Requested. (Due August 18, 2023)
2023-07-05
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/26/2023.
2023-06-29
Waiver of right of respondent De'On Crane, et al. to respond filed.
2023-05-25
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due June 29, 2023)

Attorneys

City of Arlington
Baxter W. BanowskyBanowsky, PC, Petitioner
De'On Crane, et al.
Kelsi Brown CorkranInstitute for Constitutional Advocacy & Protection, Respondent
Shelby Jean WhiteDurham, Pittard & Spalding, LLP, Respondent
Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool, et al.
Laura Dahl O'LearyFanning Harper Martinson Brandt & Kutchin, PC, Amicus