Mucha v. Jackson, No. 14-3619 (7th Cir. 2015)
Annotate this CasePlaintiff Jason Mucha filed suit against two Milwaukee police officers alleging they detained him without a warrant or other justification, thereby violating his Constitutional rights. Plaintiff himself was a Milwaukee police officer: he had been on leave as a result of work-related stress. A psychiatrist that examined plaintiff stated that "Jason Mucha is, in a not very veiled manner, threatening to shoot people in police command. He has a considerable stash of firearms. Hearing this, I cannot send him back to work. This is a public safety issue." The police department received the report shortly before a "SWAT" team was dispatched to plaintiff's home. Plaintiff told officers that he had "dreams" or "thoughts of suicide and hurting himself." Officers decided to detain plaintiff; the record was unclear whether the officers decided to detain plaintiff on their own accord, or if they were under orders. Plaintiff was handcuffed and taken to a mental health facility. Plaintiff was released three days later. Plaintiff argued that the officers did not have probable cause to believe he was mentally ill or posed a danger to himself or others. The issue this case presented for the Seventh Circuit's review centered on whether the officers were entitled to qualified immunity for their actions. The Seventh Circuit did not understand the trial judge's determinations that plaintiff was acting "rationally" when police interviewed him prior to taking him to the mental health facility. As such, the Court overruled the trial court's decision to deny the officers immunity, reversed and remanded the case for dismissal against the officer-defendants.
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