Maybe I'm getting my cows mixed up, but didn't someone FOIA or otherwise access the police records and reveal they've been to the half-hovel over 40 times?
That's in the court docs. The issue I've been arguing over is whether or not those incidents rise to Patty having to take civil action against the MPD.
If there were 1 or 2 initial incidents where the police responded en masse and then the rest were just welfare checks and Patty being a belligerent shithead, I'd argue that the MPD isn't really at fault for anything.
Like, if the police were responding as a basic wellness check and Patty storms out screaming and trying to take a swing at an officer? I don't see that as grounds for anything.
If the police then respond with a backup unit on the next call because of the bellicose Pigman having been difficult the last time they were at the property, I don't see that as unreasonable.
If Patty's contention is that they wouldn't accept his special passphrase (or whatever) and that officers simply knocking on his door and confirming everyone is okay is unacceptable? I also view that as unreasonable, even in the face of 40 incidents.
However, if the police were routinely showing up and doing the same thing over and over again and Patty's oinkings came as the result of the 20th time of the same thing happening? Yeah, I could see damages being awarded to Patty.
That's what I mean by an incomplete picture. We don't know the exact nature of all of the calls, we just know that they did, in fact, happen. And that's without going into Patty's own violent, confrontational nature and past history with law enforcement.
I'm not saying they're fully in the wrong --I'm still pretty confident Pat swatted himself at least a few times-- but they are definitely incompetent if they didn't put procedures in place once it became obvious they were being fucked with.
It sounds like that they did -- both sides seem to be agreeing that there's only a handful of incidents that are a point of contention, if I'm remembering right.
This could come down to one or two individual officers being shitheads (which could be a potential case of officers not following procedure) because there are some cops who act like that or because they have dealt with Patty before and hate the guy OR it could be department incompetence. It's why I want depositions.
But it looks like best/worst case is that Trailer Park Boys meme: "I"m gonna pay you $100 to fuck off." as the City has probably crunched the numbers and determined that a small settlement (and maybe bumping an officer or two down a pay grade) is more cost effective than a lengthy and prolonged trial and more desirable than being in close vicinity to Patty for an extended period of time.
pat sues his toilet
I'd still be surprised if a fairly large city has legal counsel who don't know their way around 1983 actions though.
