COUNTY OF SACRAMENTO V. LEWIS
523 U.S. 833 (1998)
NATURE OF THE CASE: This was a dispute over liability under Section 1983 for police
conduct in a high speed chase.
FACTS: Officer Stapp saw a motorcycle approaching at high speed. It was operated by
18-year-old Brian Willard, and carried Philip Lewis, respondents' 16-year-old decedent, as a
passenger. Neither boy had anything to do with the fight that prompted the call to the
police. Stapp turned on his overhead rotating lights, yelled to the boys to stop, and pulled
his patrol car closer to Smith's, attempting to pen the motorcycle in. Willard slowly
maneuvered the cycle between the two police cars and sped off. Smith immediately switched on
his own emergency lights and siren, made a quick turn, and began pursuit at high speed. The
chase ended after the motorcycle tipped over as Willard tried a sharp left turn. By the time
Smith slammed on his brakes, Willard was out of the way, but Lewis was not. The patrol car
skidded into him at 40 miles an hour, propelling him some 70 feet down the road and
inflicting massive injuries. Lewis was pronounced dead at the scene. This lawsuit was taken
under 1983. The District Court granted summary judgment for Smith, reasoning that, even if
he violated the Constitution, he was entitled to qualified immunity. The Court of Appeals
for the Ninth Circuit reversed, holding that the appropriate degree of fault to be applied
to high-speed police pursuits is deliberate indifference to, or reckless disregard for, a
person's right to life and personal security. Smith apparently disregarded the Sacramento
County Sheriff's Department's General Order on police pursuits and the Ninth Circuit found a
genuine issue of material fact that might be resolved by a finding that Smith's conduct
amounted to deliberate indifference.
ISSUE:
RULE OF LAW:
HOLDING AND DECISION:
LEGAL ANALYSIS:
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