Ramos-Rodriguez v. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department et al
Filing
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ORDER re 1 Complaint. Plaintiff is granted leave to file an amended complaint. Amended Complaint deadline: 2/17/2017. Signed by Magistrate Judge Nancy J. Koppe on 1/18/17. (Copies have been distributed pursuant to the NEF; 1983 Form and Complaint to P - JM)
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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DISTRICT OF NEVADA
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MANUEL RAMOS RODRIGUEZ,
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Plaintiff(s),
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vs.
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LAS VEGAS METROPOLITAN POLICE
DEPARTMENT, et al.,
Defendant(s).
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Case No. 2:15-cv-01212-GMN-NJK
ORDER
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On June 25, 2015, Plaintiff filed an application for leave to proceed in forma pauperis, along
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with a complaint. Docket No. 1. On June 26, 2015, the Court denied Plaintiff’s application without
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prejudice for failure to include a financial certificate, certified copy of his inmate trust account
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statement, and a signed financial affidavit. Docket No. 2 at 1. On July 21, 2015, Plaintiff filed a
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renewed application for leave to proceed in forma pauperis. Docket No. 3. On July 29, 2015, the
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Court denied Plaintiff’s renewed application without prejudice, again because it was incomplete.
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Docket No. 4 at 1-2. On August 19, 2015, Plaintiff filed a renewed application for leave to proceed
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in forma pauperis, which the Court granted on January 12, 2016. Docket Nos. 5, 6. The Court later
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amended its order granting Plaintiff’s application for leave to proceed in forma pauperis. Docket
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No. 7. The Court will now screen Plaintiff’s complaint.
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I.
DISCUSSION
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Upon granting a request to proceed in forma pauperis, a Court additionally screens the
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complaint pursuant to § 1915. Federal courts are given the authority to dismiss a case if the action
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is legally “frivolous or malicious,” fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, or seeks
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monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2). When
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a court dismisses a complaint under § 1915, the plaintiff should be given leave to amend the
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complaint with directions as to curing its deficiencies, unless it is clear from the face of the
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complaint that the deficiencies could not be cured by amendment. See Cato v. United States, 70 F.3d
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1103, 1106 (9th Cir. 1995).
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Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure provides for dismissal of a complaint
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for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. Review under Rule 12(b)(6) is
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essentially a ruling on a question of law. See Chappel v. Laboratory Corp. of America, 232 F.3d
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719, 723 (9th Cir. 2000). A properly pled complaint must provide a short and plain statement of the
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claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief. Fed.R.Civ.P. 8(a)(2); Bell Atlantic Corp. v.
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Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007). Although Rule 8 does not require detailed factual allegations,
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it demands “more than labels and conclusions” or a “formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause
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of action.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (citing Papasan v. Allain, 478 U.S. 265, 286
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(1986)). The court must accept as true all well-pled factual allegations contained in the complaint,
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but the same requirement does not apply to legal conclusions. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 679. Mere recitals
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of the elements of a cause of action, supported only by conclusory allegations, do not suffice. Id. at
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678. Secondly, where the claims in the complaint have not crossed the line from conceivable to
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plausible, the complaint should be dismissed. Twombly, 550 U.S. at 570. Allegations of a pro se
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complaint are held to less stringent standards than formal pleadings drafted by lawyers. Hebbe v.
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Pliler, 627 F.3d 338, 342 & n.7 (9th Cir. 2010) (finding that liberal construction of pro se pleadings
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is required after Twombly and Iqbal).
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Given Plaintiff’s status as a pro se litigant, the Court has construed his complaint liberally.
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Plaintiff frames his claims as being brought pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Docket No. 1-1 at 1. To
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state a claim under § 1983, a plaintiff must allege that a right secured by the Constitution or statutory
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law has been violated, and the deprivation was committed by a person acting under color of law. See
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Anderson v. Warner, 451 F.3d 1063, 1067 (9th Cir. 2006). With respect to Defendants Beck,
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Escartin, Holloway, Laurenco, Rich, Porter, and Thomas (hereinafter “individual defendants”),
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Plaintiff appears to allege that the conduct that gave rise to his claims against them took place while
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they were on duty as police officers for the City of Las Vegas. Docket No. 1-1 at 3-5. Therefore,
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the Court construes Plaintiff’s complaint as alleging that the individual defendants acted under color
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of law as police officers for the City of Las Vegas.
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Plaintiff alleges that he was shot four times in the course of being arrested by the individual
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defendants, even though Plaintiff was in the process of surrendering himself. See, e.g., Docket No.
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1-1 at 5. Plaintiff further alleges that at least one of the individual defendants called him a racial
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slur, and thus that the decision to shoot him was racially motivated. See, e.g., id. at 4. Allegations
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that law enforcement officers used excessive force in arresting a plaintiff may establish a violation
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of the Fourth Amendment, which may in turn form the basis of a § 1983 claim. See, e.g., Gravelet-
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Blondin v. Shelton, 728 F.3d 1086, 1090-91 (9th Cir. 2013). Additionally, a claim of discrimination
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may establish a § 1983 equal protection violation. See, e.g., Barren v. Harrington, 152 F.3d 1193,
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1194 (9th Cir. 1998). Though the complaint lacks some details, such as the date of the alleged
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incident, the Court finds the allegations in Plaintiff’s complaint regarding excessive force and racial
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discrimination sufficient for screening purposes.
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The Court cannot determine whether Plaintiff intended to bring claims against the individual
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defendants in addition to the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment claims outlined above. See, e.g.,
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Docket No. 1-1 at 4 (referring to an alleged due process violation). Having found that Plaintiff’s
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complaint is sufficient for screening purposes with respect to at least two claims against the
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individual defendants, however, the Court declines to address any additional claims that may be
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present in the complaint. See, e.g., Jenkins v. Lab. Corp. of Am., 2013 U.S. Dist. Lexis 118008, at
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*6 n.1 (D. Nev. Aug. 20, 2013). Moreover, nothing herein should be construed as preventing the
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individual defendants from filing a motion to dismiss once they have appeared on any grounds they
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deem appropriate, including whether Plaintiff has sufficiently stated a claim. See Teahan v. Wilhelm,
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481 F. Supp. 2d 1115, 1119 (S.D. Cal. 2007); see also Bem v. Clark Coutny Sch. Dist., 2015 U.S.
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Dist. Lexis 7757, at *6 n.1 (D. Nev. Jan. 21, 2015).
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Plaintiff also names the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department as a defendant, ostensibly
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because of its connection to the police officers named as defendants in this action. Docket No. 1-1
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at 1. The Ninth Circuit has held that, pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 17(b), state law
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determines the issue of whether a department of a municipality may sue or be sued. See, e.g., Streit
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v. Cnty. of Los Angeles, 236 F.3d 552, 565 (9th Cir. 2001). The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police
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Department is a department of the City of Las Vegas and, “[i]n the absence of statutory
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authorization, a department of the municipal government may not, in the department name, sue or
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be sued.” Wayment v. Holmes, 912 P.2d 816, 819 (Nev. 1996) (citing 64 C.J.S. Municipal
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Corporations § 2195 (1950)); see Schneider v. Elko Cnty. Sheriff’s Dep’t, 17 F. Supp. 2d 1162, 1665
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(D. Nev. 1998); see also Wallace v. City of North Las Vegas, 2011 WL 2971241, at *1 (D. Nev.
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2011) (“Plaintiffs have not identified any statutory authority that permits the Department to be sued,
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and the court is unaware of any such authority”); Cerros v. North Las Vegas Police Dep’t, 2008 WL
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608641, at *9 (D. Nev. 2008) (“Nevada does not grant authorization of a police department to sue
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or be sued”). Thus, Plaintiff fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted as to Defendant
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Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
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Plaintiff also appears to allege that University Medical Center (“UMC”) treated him at some
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point after he was shot. Docket No. 1-1 at 6. Plaintiff submits that UMC provided him with
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inadequate medical care. Id. Plaintiff further asserts that the Clark County Detention Center
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(“CCDC”) subsequently neglected his medical needs, and continues to do so. Id. The actions of
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physicians under contract with the state to provide medical care to prisoners may constitute state
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action. See, e.g., West v. Adkins, 487 U.S. 42, 54 (1988). Additionally, a prisoner’s allegations of
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medical neglect may establish a violation of the Eighth Amendment, which may in turn form the
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basis of a § 1983 claim. See, e.g., Peralta v. Dillard, 744 F.3d 1076, 1081-82 (9th Cir. 2014).
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However, Plaintiff fails to fully explain the circumstances of his treatment at UMC. Plaintiff also
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fails to name any of the individuals responsible for the alleged inadequate medical care and medical
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neglect as defendants in this action. See Docket No. 1-1 at 1. Thus, Plaintiff fails to state a claim
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upon which relief can be granted as to his claim for medical mistreatment.
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II.
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CONCLUSION
Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that:
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Plaintiff is granted leave to file an amended complaint to cure the deficiencies noted
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above. If Plaintiff chooses to file an amended complaint he is advised that an
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amended complaint supersedes (replaces) the original complaint and, thus, the
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amended complaint must be complete in itself. See Hal Roach Studios, Inc. v.
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Richard Feiner & Co., Inc., 896 F.2d 1542, 1546 (9th Cir. 1989) (holding that “[t]he
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fact that a party was named in the original complaint is irrelevant; an amended
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pleading supersedes the original”); see also Lacey v. Maricopa Cnty., 693 F.3d 896,
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928 (9th Cir. 2012) (holding that for claims dismissed with prejudice, a plaintiff is
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not required to reallege such claims in a subsequent amended complaint to preserve
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them for appeal). Plaintiff’s amended complaint must contain all claims, defendants,
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and factual allegations that Plaintiff wishes to pursue in this lawsuit.
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2.
If Plaintiff chooses to file an amended complaint curing the deficiencies, as outlined
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in this order, Plaintiff shall file the amended complaint no later than February 17,
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2017. If Plaintiff chooses not to file an amended complaint curing the stated
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deficiencies, this action shall proceed immediately on the Fourth and Fourteenth
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Amendment claims against the individual defendants only.
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The Clerk of Court shall send to Plaintiff the approved form for filing a § 1983
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complaint, instructions for the same, and a copy of his original complaint (ECF No.
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1-1). If Plaintiff chooses to file an amended complaint, he must use the approved
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form and he shall write the words “First Amended” above the words “Civil Rights
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Complaint” in the caption.
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IT IS SO ORDERED.
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DATED: January 18, 2017
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______________________________________
NANCY J. KOPPE
United States Magistrate Judge
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