James Robinson v. Washington County

MEMORANDUM

James William Robinson appeals pro se from the district court’s summary judgment in his 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action alleging excessive force in the course of a detention arising out of a traffic stop, and state law claims of defamation. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 . We review de novo. Luchtel v. Hagemann, 623 F.3d 975, 978 (9th Cir.2010). We affirm.

The district court properly granted summary judgment for Officers Crino and Blalack based on qualified immunity because Robinson failed to raise a genuine issue of material fact as to whether the officers used excessive force in subduing and handcuffing him, and “a reasonable officer could have thought that the force used was needed.” Id. at 980-83 (granting summary judgment for officers where the plaintiff had actively resisted arrest and the “officers applied the least amount of force necessary to subdue [the plaintiff] by pinning her to the ground and handcuffing her”).

The district court properly granted summary judgment for the City of Beaverton and Washington County because Robinson failed to demonstrate any constitutional violation and failed to allege that any policy, practice, or custom by the…