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In the United States Court of Appeals For the Seventh Circuit ____________ No. 06-2982 TERRANCE JEWETT, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. OFFICER DALE ANDERS, Defendant-Appellant. ____________ Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. No. 04 C 867âCharles N. Clevert, Jr., Judge. ____________ ARGUED SEPTEMBER 27, 2007âDECIDED APRIL 11, 2008 ____________ Before BAUER, RIPPLE and KANNE, Circuit Judges. RIPPLE, Circuit Judge. Terrance Jewett filed this action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against Officer Dale Anders, a Milwaukee police officer. He alleges that Officer Anders unlawfully arrested him and used excessive force in effectuating the arrest in violation of the Fourth Amend- ment, as made applicable to the states by the Fourteenth Amendment. He also alleges that Officer Anders de- prived him of liberty without due process of law in viola- tion of the Fourteenth Amendment. Officer Anders filed a motion for partial summary judgment on the unlawful arrest and deprivation of liberty claims. He also 2 No. 06-2982 asserted qualified immunity with respect to these allega- tions. The district court denied his motion. Officer Anders then timely filed an interlocutory appeal in this court. For the reasons set forth in this opinion, we reverse the judgment of the district court. I BACKGROUND A. In this interlocutory appeal from a denial of qualified immunity on summary judgment, we have jurisdiction to consider only the purely legal question of whether, for purposes of Officer Andersâ qualified immunity defense, a given set of facts demonstrates a violation of clearly established constitutional law. Leaf v. Shelnutt, 400 F.3d 1070, 1078 (7th Cir. 2005). Accordingly, we must rest our analysis on the facts asserted by the plaintiff, Mr. Jewett, see Knox v. Smith, 342 F.3d 651, 656 (7th Cir. 2003) (noting that, where âone side concedes the otherâs facts as to what happened,â the qualified immunity question becomes a question of law), or assumed by the district court in its denial of summary judgment, Washington v. Haupert, 481 F.3d 543, 549 n.2 (7th Cir. 2007) (explaining that we may âtake, as given, the facts that the district court assumed when it denied summary judgmentâ (quoting Johnson v. Jones, 515 U.S. 304, 319 (1995))); McKinney v. Duplain, 463 F.3d 679, 688 (7th Cir. 2006); Leaf, 400 F.3d at 1078-79. On December 21, 2003, the Milwaukee Police Depart- ment was investigating an attempted homicide that had occurred the previous day. In connection with this investi- gation, Officer Dale Anders was ordered to meet several No. 06-2982 3 other officers at the Wal-Mart store on Capitol Drive and 60th Street. The officers were under instructions to appre- hend Andre Thompson, who worked in the automotive department of the Wal-Mart. The Milwaukee police suspected that Thompson had been the perpetrator of the previous dayâs shooting; the officers had been ad- vised that Thompson was armed.1 Officer Anders and his partner, both of whom were in full police uniform, arrived at the Wal-Mart in a marked police vehicle. Officer Anders parked the squad car in a position west of the store. While in the Wal-Mart parking lot, he observed an individual peer out of a door located at the south side of the Wal-Mart building. Shortly thereafter, he observed a young black male exit the Wal-Mart through a door located on the north side of the building; this individual subsequently was identified as Terrance Jewett. This sequence of events caused Officer Anders to become suspicious. Believing that Mr. Jewett might be Thompson, Officer Anders started following him in the marked police car. As Officer Anders neared, Mr. Jewett turned and ran back toward the Wal-Mart. Upon seeing Mr. Jewett run, Officer Anders exited his vehicle and ordered him to stop. Officer Anders claims that he identified himself as a police officer; Mr. Jewett main- tains that he heard someone yelling for him to stop but that the individual did not identify himself as a police officer. 1 Officer Anders submitted an affidavit to the district court stating: âOfficers had been advised that we were to proceed to [the Wal-Mart] to look for and apprehend one Andre Thompson, who had a birth date of January 24, 1981, and who had a physical description of being a black male, 6â3â tall, and approximately 216 pounds.â R.27 ¶ 4, at 1. 4 No. 06-2982 Mr. Jewett continued running until he reached the Wal- Mart door and then started to pound frantically on it. Having caught up with Mr. Jewett, Officer Anders claims that he believed that he and his partner were in a dangerous situation. Mr. Jewett had failed to obey his commands. Moreover, the Officer believed that Mr. Jewett was Thompson and, on the basis of the earlier briefing, that he was armed. Consequently, Officer Anders sought to bring Mr. Jewett within his physical control by perform- ing a âwall stunâ on Mr. Jewett: he placed his hands against the middle of Mr. Jewettâs back and pushed his chest against the door. R.26 ¶ 31. Officer Anders then put his forearms under Mr. Jewettâs armpits and pulled him toward the ground. When he had Mr. Jewett face down on the ground, Officer Anders grabbed Mr. Jewettâs hands, brought them behind his back and handcuffed him. Once he had secured Mr. Jewett in handcuffs, Officer Anders conducted a search of his person. The Officer retrieved Mr. Jewettâs identification from his pocket, which identified him as Terrance Jewett rather than Andre Thompson. Officer Anders placed Mr. Jewett inside the squad car. At this point, Sergeant Pamela Holmes arrived on the scene and spoke briefly with Mr. Jewett. Officer Anders confirmed Mr. Jewettâs identification and issued him a municipal citation for obstructing a police officer based on Mr. Jewettâs failure to obey his commands to stop.2 Officer Anders then released Mr. Jewett. According to Mr. Jewett, the incident lasted approximately thirty 2 Mr. Jewett was cited for violating Milwaukee Code of Ordi- nances § 105-138, entitled âResisting or Obstructing an Officer.â The citation eventually was dismissed by the City of Mil- waukee on its own motion. No. 06-2982 5 to forty minutes; Officer Anders claims that Mr. Jewett was detained for twenty minutes. B. Mr. Jewett filed this section 1983 action against Officer Anders. Specifically, Mr. Jewett claims that Officer Anders arrested him unlawfully and used excessive force to effectuate the arrest in violation of the Fourth Amend- ment, as made applicable to the states by the Fourteenth Amendment. Mr. Jewett also claims that Officer Anders deprived him of liberty without due process of law in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment.3 Officer Anders moved for summary judgment on qualified immunity grounds and on the merits with respect to all claims except for the excessive force claim. The district court denied his motion. The district court determined that there was no evidence that Officer Anders had the physical description of the suspected perpetrator of the December 20th attempted homicide that he was investigating. The district court noted that [i]n his affidavit, Officer Anders states that âOfficers had been advised that we were to proceed to [Wal- Mart], to look for and apprehend one Andre Thomp- 3 Mr. Jewettâs complaint states: âPlaintiff was denied his right to due process not to be deprived of liberty without due process of law when he was shoved against a door, searched, thrown to the ground, tightly cuffed, and forced to sit on his hands in a squad car even after the officers were aware that he was not involved in any crime.â R.1 ¶ 44. 6 No. 06-2982 son, who had a birth date of January 24, 1981, and who had a physical description of being a black male, 6â3â tall, and approximately 216 pounds.â R.37 at 4 n.1. The court ruled, however, that this asser- tion constituted inadmissible hearsay. As a result, it determined that Officer Anders had no other basis for comparing Mr. Jewettâs physical characteristics with the description of Thompson. The district court then con- cluded that Officer Anders did not have probable cause to arrest Mr. Jewett solely based on Mr. Jewettâs location, the automotive department of Wal-Mart and his attempt to escape after being commanded to stop by Officer Anders. The court accordingly denied Officer Andersâ motion for summary judgment on the unlawful arrest claims. Next, the district court analyzed whether Officer Anders was entitled to qualified immunity. The court set forth the appropriate standard under Saucier v. Katz, 533 U.S. 194, 202 (2001). It ruled that Mr. Jewett had a clearly established constitutional right to be free from arrest without probable cause and that Officer Anders had not presented sufficient evidence to enable the court to decide that he did not violate that right. The district court accord- ingly denied Officer Andersâ motion for summary judg- ment. II DISCUSSION A. Standard of Review We review de novo a district courtâs denial of summary judgment on qualified immunity grounds. Sullivan v. No. 06-2982 7 Ramirez, 360 F.3d 692, 696 (7th Cir. 2004). In conducting our review, we do not evaluate the weight of the evid- ence, judge the credibility of witnesses or determine the ultimate truth of the matter; rather, we determine whether there exists a genuine issue of triable fact. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, 477 U.S. 242, 249-50 (1986). Summary judg- ment is proper if âthe pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.â Magin v. Monsanto Co., 420 F.3d 679, 686 (7th Cir. 2005) (citing Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c); Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322-23 (1986)). B. Interlocutory Jurisdiction Although a district courtâs denial of summary judg- ment usually is an unappealable interlocutory order, an âexception to this general rule exists for a district courtâs denial of qualified immunity on summary judgment.â White v. Gerardot, 509 F.3d 829, 833 (7th Cir. 2007). In reviewing a district courtâs denial of qualified immunity, we cannot âmake conclusions about which facts the parties ultimately might be able to establish at trial.â Leaf, 400 F.3d at 1078. Nor may we âreconsider the district courtâs determination that certain genuine issues of fact exist.â Id. Our interlocutory jurisdiction extends only to those âabstract issues of law,â Johnson, 515 U.S. at 317, which do not âdepend on the outcome of a disputed factual question.â Leaf, 400 F.3d at 1078. In sum, this â[c]ourtâs jurisdiction extends to interlocutory appeals . . . challeng- ing a district courtâs determination that a set of facts demonstrate a violation of âclearly establishedâ constitu- tional law and preclude the defendants from proffering 8 No. 06-2982 a qualified immunity defense.â Borello v. Allison, 446 F.3d 742, 747 (7th Cir. 2006) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). Because of this limitation on our interlocutory jurisdic- tion, our review of a denial of qualified immunity is framed either by the facts as assumed by the district court or by the facts as set forth by the plaintiff. White, 509 F.3d at 833-34. Here, Officer Anders is not challenging the district courtâs determination about the sufficiency of the evidence, and he has accepted the facts as assumed by the district court and as set forth by Mr. Jewett. There- fore, because Officer Anders has made legal arguments based on these facts, see id. at 835-37, we are satisfied that we have jurisdiction over the case. C. The Qualified Immunity Framework The doctrine of qualified immunity shields from liability public officials who perform discretionary duties. Belcher v. Norton, 497 F.3d 742, 749 (7th Cir. 2007). Public officials, police officers among them, often are called upon to make difficult decisions in high pressure and high risk situations. Inevitably, some of those decisions will be mistaken. Subjecting police officers to liability for each reasonable but ultimately mistaken decision would result in âunwarranted timidity,â would deter talented candi- dates from becoming police officers and would result in lawsuits that distract officers from their duties. Malinowski v. DeLuca, 177 F.3d 623, 626 (7th Cir. 1999) (citing Richard- son v. McKnight, 521 U.S. 399, 409, 411 (1997)). At the same time, there remains a âneed to vindicate constitutional violations by government officials who abuse their offices.â Gregoire v. Class, 236 F.3d 413, 417 (8th Cir. 2000). The No. 06-2982 9 doctrine of qualified immunity strikes a balance between these conflicting concerns: It shields from liability police officers âwho act in ways they reasonably believe to be lawful.â Anderson v. Creighton, 483 U.S. 635, 641 (1987). Qualified immunity provides âample room for mistaken judgments,â and it protects all but the âplainly incompe- tent or those who knowingly violate the law.â Hunter v. Bryant, 502 U.S. 224, 227, 229 (1991) (quoting Malley v. Briggs, 475 U.S. 335, 343 (1986)); Clash v. Beatty, 77 F.3d 1045, 1048 (7th Cir. 1996) (noting, in the excessive force context, that the âpolice cannot have the specter of a § 1983 suit hanging over their heads when they are confronted with a dangerous fugitive, possible escapee, or as long as their behavior falls within reasonable limitsâ). The Supreme Court of the United States has articulated a two-part test for qualified immunity: (1) whether the facts, taken in the light most favorable to the plaintiff, show that the defendant violated a constitutional right; (2) whether that constitutional right was clearly estab- lished at the time of the alleged violation. Saucier, 533 U.S. at 201. Stated another way, qualified immunity will shield Officer Anders if he can âdemonstrate that he was performing a discretionary function and that a reasonable law enforcement officer would have believed that, at the time he acted, his actions were within the bounds of the law.â Belcher, 497 F.3d at 749; Saffell v. Crews, 183 F.3d 655, 658 (7th Cir. 1999). Qualified immunity is an affirmative defense. Sparing v. Vill. of Olympia Fields, 266 F.3d 684, 688 (7th Cir. 2001). However, once the defense is raised, it becomes the plain- tiffâs burden to defeat it. Mannoia v. Farrow, 476 F.3d 453, 457 (7th Cir. 2007); Spiegel v. Cortese, 196 F.3d 717, 723 (7th Cir. 1999). If the plaintiff cannot establish that the facts, 10 No. 06-2982 taken in the light most favorable to the plaintiff, show that the defendant violated a constitutional rightâthe first step in the Saucier analysisâour inquiry ends, and sum- mary judgment for the defendant is appropriate. D. Officer Andersâ Detention of Mr. Jewett We now turn to the first step in the Saucier analysis and explore whether Officer Anders violated the constitu- tional rights of Mr. Jewett. The first issue that we must decide is whether Officer Andersâ detention of Mr. Jewett constitutes an investiga- tory Terry stop or a complete arrest. If Mr. Jewettâs deten- tion constituted only an investigatory stop, the Fourth Amendment requires the lower standard of reasonable suspicion. United States v. Kirksey, 485 F.3d 955, 957-58 (7th Cir. 2007); see also Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1 (1968).4 If Mr. Jewett was arrested, then the Fourth Amendment requires the presence of probable cause. United States v. Adamson, 441 F.3d 513, 519-20 (7th Cir. 2006). There is no bright-line that separates a Terry investigatory stop from a formal arrest. United States v. Vega, 72 F.3d 507, 515 (7th Cir. 1995). The distinction hinges on the intrusiveness of the detention, id., which is a âflexible and highly fact- intensiveâ inquiry. United States v. Stewart, 388 F.3d 1079, 1084 (7th Cir. 2004). In denying Officer Anders qualified 4 Qualified immunity protects those officers who make a reasonable error in determining whether there is reasonable suspicion to conduct a Terry stop. Lindsey v. Storey, 936 F.2d 554, 559 (11th Cir. 1991); see also Feathers v. Aey, 319 F.3d 843, 850- 51 (6th Cir. 2003); Smith v. City of Chicago, 242 F.3d 737, 742- 43 (7th Cir. 2001). No. 06-2982 11 immunity, the district court assumed that the detention was an arrest. We begin by examining whether Officer Andersâ actions, as alleged by Mr. Jewett, can be characterized as a con- stitutional investigatory stop authorized by Terry. Mr. Jewett had a right to be free from a Terry stop unless Officer Anders had reasonable suspicion. Terry, 392 U.S. at 30. To conduct a Terry stop, an officer must be âaware of specific and articulable facts giving rise to reasonable suspicion.â United States v. Tilmon, 19 F.3d 1221, 1224 (7th Cir. 1994). Reasonable suspicion is more than a hunch but less than probable cause and âconsiderably less than preponderance of the evidence.â Illinois v. Wardlow, 528 U.S. 119, 123 (2000); United States v. Lenoir, 318 F.3d 725, 729 (7th Cir. 2003). It requires âsome minimal level of objective justification for making a stop,â given the totality of the circumstances. United States v. Sokolow, 490 U.S. 1, 7 (1989). Moreover, âa courtâs determination of reasonable suspicion âmust be based on common-sensical judgments and inferences about human behavior.ââ United States v. Baskin, 401 F.3d 788, 791 (7th Cir. 2005) (quoting Ward- low, 528 U.S. at 125). Because reasonable suspicion is evaluated in light of the totality of the circumstances known to the officer, we have noted that certain âbehavior may give rise to reasonable suspicion when viewed in the context of other factors at play.â United States v. Lawshea, 461 F.3d 857, 859 (7th Cir. 2006). Finally, in evaluating the reasonableness of an investigatory stop, we examine first whether the âofficerâs action was justi- fied at its inceptionâ and, second, âwhether it was reason- ably related in scope to the circumstances which justified the interference in the first place.â Terry, 392 U.S. at 20; United States v. Wilson, 2 F.3d 226, 230 (7th Cir. 1993). 12 No. 06-2982 In determining whether Officer Andersâ action was justified at its inception, we must consider whether it was based on the applicable standard of reasonable suspicion. The Supreme Court has considered whether an individ- ualâs unprovoked flight is sufficient to give the officer reasonable, particularized suspicion to warrant an investi- gatory stop. Wardlow, 528 U.S. at 124. In Wardlow, a cara- van of police officers was converging on a high-crime area known for its heavy drug trafficking. As the police approached the area, an officer observed an individual look in the direction of the police caravan and then flee. The Court declined to adopt a per se rule as to whether headlong, unprovoked flight creates reasonable sus- picion. Id. at 126 (Stevens, J., concurring in part and dissenting in part). The Court nevertheless explained that â[h]eadlong flightâwherever it occursâis the consum- mate act of evasion: It is not necessarily indicative of wrongdoing, but it is certainly suggestive of such.â Id. at 124 (Rehnquist, C.J.). The Court held: [U]nprovoked flight is simply not a mere refusal to cooperate. Flight, by its very nature, is not âgoing about oneâs businessâ; in fact, it is just the opposite. Allowing officers confronted with such flight to stop the fugitive and investigate further is quite consistent with the individualâs right to go about his business or to stay put and remain silent in the face of police questioning. Id. at 125. In examining whether Officer Andersâ actions were âreasonably related in scope to the circumstances which justified the interference in the first place,â Terry, 392 U.S. at 20, we must keep in mind that an investigatory stop can involve a measured use of force. Indeed, we have No. 06-2982 13 noted explicitly that a necessary corollary to the power of the police to conduct an investigatory stop is the ability to âuse reasonable means to effectuate that stop.â United States v. Felix-Felix, 275 F.3d 627, 636 (7th Cir. 2001), overruled on other grounds by statute; see also Graham v. Connor, 490 U.S. 386, 396 (1989); Weaver, 8 F.3d at 1244 (âIt is well-established that â[a] measured use of force . . . appropriate to accomplish the purposes of [the] investiga- tory stopâ does not convert a Terry stop into an arrest.â (quoting Tom v. Voida, 963 F.2d 952, 958 (7th Cir. 1992))). However, an officerâs use of force may escalate to the point where the encounter becomes, as a matter of law, a formal arrest. See United States v. Weaver, 8 F.3d at 1240, 1244 (7th Cir. 1993). In differentiating between the two, the touchstone is reasonableness: Were the officerâs actions reasonable in light of all the circumstances? Graham, 490 U.S. at 396. In evaluating whether the force that an officer used to effectuate the investigatory stop was so disproportionate to the purpose of such a stop as to con- vert the encounter into a full arrest, we consider whether âthe surrounding circumstances g[a]ve rise to a justifiable fear for personal safetyâ on the part of the officer, Tilmon, 19 F.3d at 1226; we also must consider âthe defendantâs own actions in resisting an officerâs efforts.â Lawshea, 461 F.3d at 860; see also Weaver, 8 F.3d at 1244 (noting that a âsuspect cannot complain that [a] police officer took forcible steps to detain him when the suspectâs own evasive actions created the need for those stepsâ (citing Voida, 963 F.2d at 958-59 & n.6)). Given the potential dangers involved in conducting investigatory stops, âTerry allows an officer to conduct a pat-down search if the officer has articulable facts that led him or her to believe that the individual could be armed or present a threat to others.â United States v. Hernandez-Rivas, 348 F.3d 595, 14 No. 06-2982 599 (7th Cir. 2003); see also Terry, 392 U.S. at 27. As we have noted previously, â[t]o require an officer to risk his life in order to make an investigatory stop would run contrary to the intent of Terry.â Stewart, 388 F.3d at 1085 (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). Turning to the case before us, we believe that Officer Andersâ detention of Mr. Jewett, at the time that the Officer initiated the action, did not exceed the permissible bounds of an investigatory detention under Terry. We also believe that the measures employed by the Officer were reasonable when evaluated under the totality of the circumstances. At the moment that he decided to conduct an investi- gatory stop of Mr. Jewett, Officer Anders was at the Wal-Mart to search for and arrest Andre Thompson. Thompson was suspected by the police of having per- petrated the shooting and attempted murder that had occurred the previous day. Officer Anders had been advised that Thompson could be armed, and he reasonably considered Thompson to be dangerous to himself, his partner and others. 5 Officer 5 We pause briefly to address the district courtâs evidentiary ruling, which bears on Officer Andersâ knowledge immediately prior to his detention of Mr. Jewett. The district court excluded Officer Andersâ statement that â[o]fficers had been advised that we were to proceed to [the Wal-Mart] to look for and apprehend one Andre Thompson, who had a birth date of January 24, 1981, and who had a physical description of being a black male, 6â3â tall, and approximately 216 pounds.â R.37 at 4 & n.1. Our jurisdiction necessarily must extend to review of the district courtâs exclusion as inadmissible hearsay of Officer (continued...) No. 06-2982 15 5 (...continued) Andersâ testimony regarding the information that he received from his superiors when he was dispatched to the Wal-Mart to apprehend Andre Thompson. That issue is intertwined with the issue of qualified immunity, and its consideration is ânecessary to ensure meaningful review of the qualified immunity question.â Henry v. Purnell, 501 F.3d 374, 377 (4th Cir. 2007) (noting that a court of appealsâ jurisdiction âover an interlocutory appeal of the denial of qualified immunity also provides a basis for consideration of other district court rul- ings that are âinextricably intertwinedâ with the decision of the lower court to deny qualified immunity or when consideration of the additional issue is necessary to ensure meaningful reviewâ (internal quotation marks and citation omitted)); see also Walczyk v. Rio, 496 F.3d 139, 153 (2d Cir. 2007); Meals v. City of Memphis, Tenn., 493 F.3d 720, 727 (6th Cir. 2007); A.W. v. Jersey City Pub. Schs., 486 F.3d 791, 795 n.5 (3d Cir. 2007); Kirkland v. St. Vrain Valley Sch. Dist. No. Re-1J, 464 F.3d 1182, 1198 (10th Cir. 2006); Walker v. City of Pine Bluff, 414 F.3d 989, 993 (8th Cir. 2005); Wallace v. County of Comal, 400 F.3d 284, 292 (5th Cir. 2005) (cautioning that the âexercise of this jurisdiction is only proper in rare and unique circumstancesâ (internal quotation marks and citation omitted)); Kwai Fun Wong v. United States, 373 F.3d 952, 960-61 (9th Cir. 2004); Limone v. Condon, 372 F.3d 39, 51 (1st Cir. 2004) (explaining that the doctrine must be used only âto ensure meaningful review of the linchpin issueâ); Hudson v. Hall, 231 F.3d 1289, 1294 (11th Cir. 2000); cf. Swint v. Chambers County Commân, 514 U.S. 35, n.2 & 50-51 (1995) (discussing the scope of pendant appellate jurisdiction in the collateral order context). In the district courtâs view, the statement in question was inadmissible hearsay. We respectfully cannot agree. The statement is offered to demonstrate the effect of this information on Officer Anders as he encountered Mr. Jewett and to explain the Officerâs actions in detaining Mr. Jewett, United States v. Norwood, 798 F.2d 1094, 1097-98 (7th Cir. 1986); United States v. (continued...) 16 No. 06-2982 Anders observed an individual peering out of the door of the Wal-Mart where Thompson was thought to be. The Officer then observed the individual, later identified as Mr. Jewett, exit the Wal-Mart. Officer Anders drove toward him in order to determine whether the individual en- gaging in this suspicious behavior was Thompson. As Officer Anders neared, Mr. Jewett fled without provoca- tion and continued running despite Officer Andersâ calls for him to stop.6 Once Mr. Jewett reached the door of the 5 (...continued) 1982 Yukon Delta Houseboat, 774 F.2d 1432, 1434 (9th Cir. 1985), not to prove the truth of the matter asserted. All that matters is that the statement was made and that Officer Anders heard it. Mr. Jewett disputes the veracity of Officer Andersâ assertion that he had been given Thompsonâs height and weight. Specifi- cally, Mr. Jewett maintains that Officer Anders inserted into his police notebook Thompsonâs weight and height only after he had detained Mr. Jewett. Given the posture of this case, we may not rely on that portion of the statement. Mr. Jewett, however, does not take issue with Officer Andersâ assertion that he had been told to proceed to the Wal-Mart to arrest Thomp- son, a black male of approximately 22 years, the suspected perpetrator of the previous daysâ attempted homicide. There- fore, we consider only that portion of the statement in our analysis. 6 Mr. Jewett submits that Officer Andersâ actions were unrea- sonable because Mr. Jewett was not running away from the police, but rather running back toward the Wal-Mart door because he wanted to try to catch the door before it closed and locked. Mr. Jewett claims that he had left his keys inside the Wal-Mart and that he had run back to retrieve them. Mr. Jewett also maintains that he did not see Officer Anders in the marked police squad car or in his police uniform, and he did not (continued...) No. 06-2982 17 Wal-Mart, he began pounding frantically to gain entrance. Upon reaching him, Officer Anders pushed him into the door, brought him face down onto the floor and handcuffed him. Given Officer Andersâ reasonable belief that Mr. Jewett was Thompson, who was wanted for attempted murder and whom the police believed to be armed, this procedure was âappropriate to accomplish the purpose of [the] investigatory stop.â Weaver, 8 F.3d at 1244 (alteration in original); United States v. Dykes, 406 F.3d 717, 720 (D.C. Cir. 2005) (holding that the policeâs tackling of a suspect did not convert a Terry stop into an arrest where the suspect was in flight, and the police reasonably believed that he was armed); Lawshea, 461 F.3d at 860-61 (holding that the use of a police dog to effectuate a stop did not convert the detention into an arrest). It allowed Officer Anders to frisk Mr. Jewett safely and to confirm whether Mr. Jewett in fact was Thompson while minimizing the danger to himself and to his partner. See Stewart, 388 F.3d at 1085 (holding that it was not unreason- 6 (...continued) hear Officer Anders identify himself as a police officer. Never- theless, Mr. Jewettâs subjective motivations for running away are irrelevant, as is the fact that he did not hear Officer Anders identify himself as a police officer. When determining whether a police officer has reasonable suspicion to conduct an inves- tigatory stop, we âlook to the officer[âs] knowledge at the time of the [detention], not the suspectâs.â Marshall ex rel. Gossens v. Teske, 284 F.3d 765, 773 (7th Cir. 2002) (Manion, J., concurring) (citing United States v. Gilbert, 45 F.3d 1163, 1166 (7th Cir. 1995)). From Officer Andersâ perspective, he observed suspicious behavior and an individual matching Thompsonâs description running away from him as he exited his marked police squad car. 18 No. 06-2982 able for officers to handcuff an individual whom they believed had perpetrated a violent crime and whom they suspected was armed); Tilmon, 19 F.3d at 1228 (âWhen a suspect is considered dangerous, requiring him to lie face down on the ground is the safest way for police officers to approach him, handcuff him and finally deter- mine whether he carries any weapons.â). Given the totality of the circumstances, the force that Officer Anders used to effectuate the investigatory stop did not convert the encounter into a full arrest.7 Moreover, because Officer Anders had reasonable suspicion to detain Mr. Jewett, we hold that his action âwas justified at its inception.â Terry, 392 U.S. at 20. Once he had secured Mr. Jewett, Officer Anders frisked him, and, during the frisk, he retrieved Mr. Jewettâs identification from his pocket, which identified him as Terrance Jewett rather than Andre Thompson. We have held that an officer may retrieve an individualâs identi- fication from his wallet. United States v. Brown, 366 F.3d 456, 461 (7th Cir. 2004) (â[A]n officer may check an individ- ualâs identification in his wallet during a Terry stop.â); Hernandez-Rivas, 348 F.3d at 599. Officer Anders then placed Mr. Jewett in the squad car while he confirmed 7 Officer Andersâ motion for partial summary judgment did not request summary judgment on the merits or on qualified immunity grounds as to Mr. Jewettâs excessive force claim. We acknowledge that our holding that Officer Andersâ use of force in effectuating the investigatory stop did not convert the encounter into a formal arrest is in tension with Mr. Jewettâs excessive force claim. The parties have not briefed this matter on appeal, and, more important, Mr. Jewettâs excessive force claim is not before us. No. 06-2982 19 his identification, issued him a municipal citation for obstructing a police officer and released him. See Stewart, 388 F.3d at 1084 (placing briefly an individual in a squad car does not convert a Terry stop into an arrest); Tilmon, 19 F.3d at 1228; Vega, 72 F.3d at 515. The length of the detention is a factor in determining whether an investigatory stop was transformed into a formal arrest. Although Officer Anders claims that the entire incidentâfrom the time that Mr. Jewett fled until the time that he was releasedâlasted twenty minutes, we are required, given the procedural posture of this case, to assume Mr. Jewettâs version of thirty to forty minutes. The length of Mr. Jewettâs detention alone did not convert the investigatory stop into an arrest.8 Indeed, we have noted that â[t]here is no bright-line rule as to how long an investigative detention may last; instead we look to whether the police diligently pursued a means of investi- gating that was likely to confirm or dispel quickly their suspicions.â United States v. Adamson, 441 F.3d 513, 521 (7th Cir. 2006). Furthermore, we have explained that â[w]hen delay is attributable to the evasive actions of a suspect, the police do not exceed the permissible duration of an investigatory stop.â Cady, 467 F.3d at 1063. In this case, Mr. Jewettâs evasive actions caused Officer Anders to chase, apprehend and frisk him and further caused Officer Anders to issue him a municipal citation, all of which contributed to the time that Mr. Jewett was detained. There 8 See, e.g., Cady v. Sheahan, 467 F.3d 1057, 1063 (7th Cir. 2006) (twenty to thirty minutes); Vega, 72 F.3d at 515 (sixty-two minutes); United States v. Davies, 768 F.2d 893, 902 (7th Cir. 1985) (forty-five minutes); see also, e.g., United States v. Gil, 204 F.3d 1347, 1350-51 (11th Cir. 2006) (seventy-five minutes). 20 No. 06-2982 is no indication that Officer Anders detained Mr. Jewett longer than necessary to complete his investigation and issue the municipal citation. Consequently, we conclude that Officer Andersâ investi- gatory stop of Mr. Jewett was âreasonably related in scope to the circumstances which justified the interference in the first place.â9 Terry, 392 U.S. at 20. Conclusion Accordingly, we hold that Mr. Jewettâs detention fell within the bounds of a constitutional investigatory stop. We cannot say that Officer Anders acted unreasonably in detaining Mr. Jewett to determine his identity. Officer Anders therefore is entitled to qualified immunity as to 9 Mr. Jewettâs complaint also sought redress because Officer Anders âdeprived him of liberty without due process of law.â R.1 ¶ 44. Mr. Jewettâs complaint does not explain whether the focus of his claim is a deprivation of procedural or substan- tive due process. The Supreme Court has cautioned that a substantive due process claim may not be maintained where a specific constitutional provision protects the right allegedly violatedâin this case, the Fourth Amendmentâand, therefore, we construe Mr. Jewettâs claim as an alleged deprivation of procedural due process. United States v. Lanier, 520 U.S. 259, 272 n.7 (1997); Graham v. Connor, 490 U.S. 386, 394 (1989). Further- more, because we have determined that Officer Andersâ deten- tion of Mr. Jewett was within the constitutional bounds set forth by Terry, his procedural due process claim cannot suc- ceed. Doyle v. Camelot Care Ctrs., Inc., 305 F.3d 603, 616 (7th Cir. 2002) (explaining that a procedural due process claim requires a plaintiff to show that a state actor caused a deprivation of a constitutionally protected liberty interest). No. 06-2982 21 Mr. Jewettâs claims of unlawful arrest and deprivation of liberty. The judgment of the district court is reversed, and the case is remanded for further proceedings. Officer Anders may recover his costs of this appeal. REVERSED and REMANDED USCA-02-C-0072â4-11-08
Case Information
- Court
- 7th Cir.
- Decision Date
- April 11, 2008
- Status
- Precedential