Pyka v. Village of Orland Park, 92-C-7888.

• Decision Date: 08 November 1995
• Docket Number: No. 92-C-7888.,92-C-7888.
• Parties: Pamela and Richard PYKA, individually and as administrators of the Estate of Christian Pyka, deceased, and Danielle Pyka, individually, Plaintiffs, v. The VILLAGE OF ORLAND PARK, and Chief Charles Rabideau, Police Officers Timothy McCarthy, Michael Loewe, Patrick Duggan, Jeffrey Cavender, Sgt. Charles Doll and Sgt. Kenneth Slewoski, individually and in their official capacities, Defendants.
• Court: U.S. District Court — Northern District of Illinois

906 F. Supp. 1196

Pamela and Richard PYKA, individually and as administrators of the Estate of Christian Pyka, deceased, and Danielle Pyka, individually, Plaintiffs, v. The VILLAGE OF ORLAND PARK, and Chief Charles Rabideau, Police Officers Timothy McCarthy, Michael Loewe, Patrick Duggan, Jeffrey Cavender, Sgt. Charles Doll and Sgt. Kenneth Slewoski, individually and in their official capacities, Defendants.

No. 92-C-7888.

United States District Court, N.D. Illinois, Eastern Division.

November 8, 1995.

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Sheldon Lee Banks, Law Office of Sheldon L. Banks, Chicago, IL, Joseph Vincent Roddy, Law Office of Joseph V. Roddy, Chicago, IL, for Pamela Pyka, Richard Pyka, individually, and as administrators of the Estate of Christian Pyka, deceased est Christian Pyka, Danielle Pyka, individually.

Eugene Kenneth Friker, Richard T. Wimmer, Dennis G. Walsh, James Vincent Ferolo, Klein, Thorpe & Jenkins, Ltd., Chicago, IL, for Village of Orland Park, Charles Rabideau, Chief, Timothy McCarthy, Michael Loewe, Patrick Duggan, Robert M. Piantanesi, Jeffrey Cavender, Michael Muller, Donald Hartsock, Police Officers, Charles Doll, Kenneth Slewoski, Sgts., Thomas Lynch, Individually, James Dowling, III, John Mattes, Commanders, William Gaides, Christina Leach, Phyllis Krisik, Dispatchers, individually and in their official capacities.

                                          TABLE OF CONTENTS
                I. BACKGROUND ..........................................................1203
                   A. The Evidence .....................................................1203
                      1. Autobiographical Information ..................................1203
                      2. The Accident ..................................................1203
                         (a) Lyle Healy's Version ......................................1203
                         (b) Officer McCarthy's Version ................................1204
                         (c) Officer Loewe's Version ...................................1204
                         (d) Officer Duggan's Version ..................................1205
                      3. Events In The Lock-Up .........................................1205
                         (a) Lyle Healy's Version ......................................1205
                         (b) Officer McCarthy's Version ................................1206
                         (c) Officer Loewe's Version ...................................1207
                      4. Events In The Cell Block ......................................1207
                         (a) Officer McCarthy's Version ................................1207
                         (b) Officer Loewe's Version ...................................1208
                         (c) Telecommunications Officers' Versions .....................1208
                              (i) Officer Bill Gaides ..................................1208
                             (ii) Patricia Kowalski ....................................1209
                      5. Eyewitness Testimony ..........................................1209
                         (a) Officer Piatanesi's Report ................................1209
                         (b) Detainee Padin's Statement ................................1210
                         (c) Officer Hartsock's Testimony ..............................1210
                         (d) Sgt. Doll's Testimony .....................................1210
                         (e) Paramedic's Testimony .....................................1211
                      6. Expert Testimony ..............................................1211
                      7. Autopsy Report ................................................1211
                      8. The Videotape .................................................1212
                         (a) Booking Process & Field Sobriety Tests ....................1212
                         (b) The Take-Down .............................................1212
                         (c) Post-Take-Down Occurrences ................................1213
                         (d) Events At Time of Pyka's Death ............................1214
                II. DISCUSSION .........................................................1214
                    A. Summary Judgment Standards ......................................1214
                    B. Analysis ........................................................1214
                       1. Count I: Excessive Force .....................................1215
                          (a) Qualified Immunity .......................................1215
                                (i) Scope of Discretionary Authority ...................1216
                               (ii) Constitutional Violation ...........................1217
                              (iii) Clearly Established Law ............................1219
                          (b) A Split of Authority .....................................1219
                                (i) The Circuit Court Decisions ........................1219
                               (ii) The District Court Decisions .......................1220
                              (iii) The Suicide Cases ..................................1222
                               (iv) Seventh Circuit Law ................................1222
                          (c) The Merits ...............................................1223
                                (i) Officer McCarthy ...................................1225
                

                             (ii) Officer Loewe ..........................................1226
                      2. Count II: Refusal of Bail .......................................1227
                      3. Count III: Punishment ...........................................1228
                      4. Count IV: Failure To Provide Medical Care .......................1230
                      5. Count V: Municipal Liability ....................................1230
                      6. Proximate Cause .................................................1231
                      7. Motion for Judgment on The Pleadings ............................1232
                III. CONCLUSION ..........................................................1233
                

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

CASTILLO, Judge.

On November 8, 1991, four years ago today, Christian Pyka ("Pyka"), an eighteen-year old youth in police custody, committed suicide by hanging himself from the bars of his cell with his t-shirt. Pyka's parents, the representatives of his estate, and his sister Danielle (collectively the "plaintiffs"), have brought this tragic civil rights case¹ pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §§ 1983 and 1988, against the Village of Orland Park (the "Village") and various police officers² (collectively the "defendants"), in their individual and official capacities, who were involved in the events of that night.³

Pyka's death leaves many questions unanswered —answers that unfortunately only Pyka, himself, could have provided. Thus, most of these questions are destined to remain unanswered no matter how this lawsuit is ultimately resolved. The only clues to Pyka's mysterious death are the statements of the police personnel on duty, Pyka's friend, Lyle Healy, and Joseph A. Padin, a detainee housed in the cell next to Pyka's on the night Pyka died. There is also a videotape of the events that occurred at the station before Pyka was taken to his cell.⁴

This evidence is highly circumstantial, largely disputed and, for the most part, inconclusive. Competing inferences can therefore be drawn from the material facts. To the extent that the facts are undisputed, reference to the Rule 12(M) and (N)(3)(b) Statements will be made.

I. BACKGROUND

A. The Evidence⁵

The parties present strikingly different versions of the events that occurred on the night of November 8, 1991, in their depositions and in the other exhibits submitted to the court. This evidence is summarized below. We begin with some autobiographical data.

1. Autobiographical Information

On November 8, 1991, Officer Timothy McCarthy, a former staff sergeant in the U.S. Army from 1967-1970 and a Vietnam Veteran with several commendations, worked in the Orland Park Police Department's traffic division as an accident reconstructionist. McCarthy Dep. at 5-6. At the time of the accident, Officer McCarthy was approximately six foot two inches tall, about 210-215 pounds and testified that he was in fairly good shape. Id. at 7. He also had completed several years of college and graduated from the police academy. Id. at 6.

Conversely, on the night he died, Christian Pyka was 18 years old, about five foot five and approximately 117 pounds. Teas' Autopsy Report, Pls.' Ex. D; McCarthy Dep. at 7 (putting Pyka at about 140-150 pounds). Pyka also had been taking classes at Moraine Valley Community College and "talking about getting more serious and going full time that evening...." Healy Dep. at 10. Pyka, the son of divorced parents, Pamela and Richard Pyka, had one sister, Danielle, and was well-liked by his friends. P. Pyka's Dep. at 39-40. There is no evidence by anyone who knew Pyka that he had ever mentioned the desire to commit suicide; nor is there evidence that he had been troubled before his death. Healy Dep. at 9-10; P. Pyka Dep. at 41-42.

Lyle Healy, one of Pyka's closest friends, was with Pyka on the night he died. Healy was several years older than Pyka, Healy Dep. at 7, and when asked to describe the basis for the friendship, stated: "we were close.... Probably hung around almost on a daily basis as kind of like — not necessarily a big brother, little brother thing, but it was kind of like I watched out for him a little bit." Id.

2. The Accident

(a) Lyle Healy's Version

Lyle Healy was with Pyka on the night he died, riding as a passenger in the Chevy Blazer Pyka was driving. Id. at 21. Healy testified that it was a cold and icy night. Id. at 18. As they were driving to a friend's house, they hit a large patch of ice and began sliding toward the intersection. Healy Dep. Exh. 1 at 1. When the Blazer hit a thawedout area in the street, the car slid to the other side of the street, hit the curb and tipped the Blazer onto its passenger side. Id. Healy testified that Pyka had his seat belt on, and when he released the belt to free himself from his seat, he fell onto Healy. Id. The two then exited the Blazer through the driver side door. Id. After the car turned on its side, Healy checked Pyka for injuries and "found absolutely no cuts, abrasions or bruises on Chris, whatsoever, ..." Id. at 2.

While...