Torrie v. Weber County

Sixteen-year-old Wayne Torrie's mother asked law enforcement officers to locate Wayne, who had left home in his family's vehicle, and bring him into custody. A Weber County sheriff's deputy spotted Wayne and pursued him until Wayne reached speeds up to ninety-nine miles per hour. Wayne's vehicle then left the road and rolled over, ejecting Wayne, who ultimately died from his injuries. Wayne's parents filed a lawsuit against the deputy and the county, alleging various theories of negligence in connection with the deputy's pursuit of their son. The district court granted summary judgment for Defendants, concluding that Defendants owed no duty to Wayne. The Supreme Court (1) reversed summary judgment for the deputy, holding that law enforcement officers engaged in pursuit owe a duty of care to all persons, including fleeing suspects; and (2) affirmed summary judgment for the county, holding that the Torries failed to meet their burden of demonstrating that the district court erred in ruling that the county owes a fleeing suspect a duty of care with respect to its law enforcement agency's implementation of policies and procedures regarding vehicular pursuits and with regard to the supervision and training provided to its officers. Remanded.