Officer did not act in reckless disregard in police pursuit of shoplifter
Facts In 2017, on a Sunday afternoon, John Tennesen was traveling westbound in a Nissan Titan pickup truck on Hardy Street in West Hattiesburg. John’s wife, Sandra, was in the passenger seat. John turned left on a green arrow onto Westover Drive and started to proceed through the intersection. At the same time, a van […]
Despite no trespassing sign, police went to area of common use when they went to back door of house
Facts Kathleen and Charles Bowman married in 2003 and moved to 68 Owl Hoot Road in Pearl River County. Kathleen’s family members testified that throughout their relationship, although Kathleen was in poor health, Bowman never held a job on any consistent basis and so the financial burden was on Kathleen, and Kathleen felt it a […]
Subject does not get same level of fourth amendment protection from force when he does not promptly surrender in first place
Facts In 2019, police officers Brad Hanks and Natausha Swavey attempted to pull over Mucio Ramirez for swerving in traffic and having a broken taillight. Instead of stopping, Ramirez led officers on a mile-and-a-half chase. Hanks and Swavey called for backup, informing dispatch they were in felony pursuit of a vehicle. Although Ramirez stopped for […]
Sheriff’s Office Policy preventing personal relationships with known felons is constitutional
Facts Calvin Lewis, who is African American, was an employee of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office (STPSO) from 1997 until his termination in 2017. According to Lewis, he met Jane Doe while he was assigned to a work detail in 2007, and they began dating thereafter. Lewis and Doe, and Doe’s two children from […]
Photo array was not grossly dissimilar in appearance to the suspect
Facts The defendants were members of the Hankton Enterprise, a gang led by Telly Hankton that sold drugs in the Central City neighborhood of New Orleans. In January 2004, a turf war erupted between the Hankton Enterprise and a rival gang led by Brian Broussard. The feud sparked several shootings and led to at least […]
Qualified immunity granted for officer who deployed taser after chase
Facts In 2018, three police officers went to Houston’s Ingrando Park to investigate drug activity. One of the officers was Arthur Garduno, a deputy constable for Harris County Constable Precinct. The officers approached the park separately in marked patrol cars and saw three men at a picnic table. Garduno claims he smelled marijuana and saw […]