Berry v. Davis et al
Filing
19
ORDER granting 17 Motion to Dismiss, and Plaintiff's claims against Separate Defendants are dismissed with prejudice. Plaintiff's claims against Brandon Davis, individually, and the City of Fort Smith, Arkansas, remain. Signed by Honorable Robert T. Dawson on June 3, 2013. (lw)
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
WESTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS
FORT SMITH DIVISION
CONNIE BERRY, Individually
and as Administrator of the
ESTATE OF ERIC W. BERRY
v.
PLAINTIFF
Case No. 12-2269
BRANDON DAVIS, Individually;
THE CITY OF FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS;
THE CITY OF FORT SMITH BOARD OF
DIRECTORS; and THE CITY OF FORT
SMITH, ARKANSAS POLICE DEPARTMENT
DEFENDANTS
ORDER
Now
before
the
Court
are
the
Motion
to
Dismiss
and
supporting brief (docs. 17-18) filed by Separate Defendants The
City of Fort Smith Board of Directors and The City of Fort
Smith, Arkansas Police Department.
Separate Defendants contend
they were not involved in the death of Eric Berry and are not
entities capable of being sued and should be dismissed from this
suit.
Further, that the naming of these Separate Defendants is
superfluous as the City of Fort Smith is a defendant.
Plaintiff
failed to file a timely response to the motion.
The Eighth Circuit has held that dismissal of a police
department is proper in a § 1983 action because a police
department is only a “subdivision of the City” and, therefore,
not a “jurisdictional [entity] suable as such.”
Ketchum v. City
of West Memphis, 974 F.2d 81, 82 (8th Cir. 1992).
Accordingly,
the motion (doc. 17) is GRANTED and Plaintiff’s claims against
AO72A
(Rev. 8/82)
Separate Defendants are DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE.
Plaintiff’s
claims against Brandon Davis, individually, and the City of Fort
Smith, Arkansas, remain.
IT IS SO ORDERED this 3rd day of June 2013.
/s/ Robert T. Dawson
Honorable Robert T. Dawson
United States District Judge
2
AO72A
(Rev. 8/82)
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