Federal judge rules in favor of troopers in Uniontown excessive force lawsuit
A federal judge ruled in favor of two state troopers who were being sued over alleged excessive force in a Fayette County shooting.
U.S. District Judge Nora Barry Fisher granted the motion to dismiss the suit Oscar Stokes filed against Troopers Adam Janosko and Patrick Biddle. Stokes alleged the troopers unnecessarily shot him multiple times during a snowy 2014 police chase in Uniontown.
The suit claimed various constitutional violations on behalf the police.
Fisher, however, found that Stokes’ guilty plea to criminal charges filed against him as a result of the chase negated his civil claims. She found the plea supported troopers’ contentions that Stokes was operating the vehicle when police attempted to conduct a traffic stop and that he fled police, dragging Janosko along with him.
“Further, (Stokes) admitted that he placed Trooper Janosko in ‘danger’ of at least ‘serious bodily injury’ by virtue of his guilty plea to recklessly endangering another person,” Fisher wrote. “In this court’s estimation, the undisputed facts make clear that there was an immediate and serious risk of bodily injury to Trooper Janosko throughout these events.”
Fisher went on to state that while Janosko was being dragged and holding onto Stokes’ shoulder while shooting at Stokes with his other hand, Stokes was actively committing offenses of aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person and resisting arrest in an incident that a dash-cam video showed lasted between 13 and 15 seconds.
Fisher found that the shooting was a split-second judgment from Janosko in response to Stokes’ actions on that evening.
Fisher added that Biddle, who shot at Stokes, is also entitled to immunity from suit.
“However, (Stokes) admits that he was not hit by any of these shots and that he was able to drive away without sustaining any further injuries such that he clearly did not submit to the troopers’ show of authority,” Fisher wrote.
She found Biddle’s actions were a justified use of force because he reasonably believed his partner was in danger of serious bodily injury.
Fisher went on to state both troopers were acting within the scope of their employment as they conducted a lawful traffic stop and engaged in the use of force to protect themselves and others.
Stokes, who is currently on parole, was sentenced to serve 24 to 48 months in prison as a result of the chase.