Seizure victim's "excessive force" arrest claim is dismissed.
Ronnie Norris sued two police officers and the City of Lincoln Park, arguing that the manner in which they used a dog to effect Norris's arrest constituted a violation of his civil rights. Norris has a history of epilepsy and the arrest occurred after officers were informed of a vehicle being operated on a bald rim at high speed. The officers chased his vehicle, with lights and siren activated, for three miles before it stopped behind a semi-tractor at an intersection. Norris then failed to respond to direction to leave his vehicle and became combative when the officers attempted to extract him.
Norris denied any memory of the incident and argued that the use of the officers' dog to extract him from the vehicle constituted a violation of police guidelines and excessive force. The Court rejected his claims and noted that under the circumstances presented, the officers' use of force was appropriate and they were immune from any liability to Norris.