D. Z. v. Buell, No. 14-1490 (7th Cir. 2015)
Annotate this CaseD.Z., a minor, filed suit under 42 U.S.C. 1983, claiming that, Evanston Police Officer Buell, violated his rights under the Fourth Amendment when he detained D.Z. in connection with a reported burglary. The district court granted Buell summary judgment, finding that Buell’s stop of D.Z. was supported by reasonable suspicion and that, assuming that D.Z.’s detention amounted to a custodial arrest, Buell was entitled to qualified immunity because he had arguable probable cause to arrest D.Z. The Seventh Circuit affirmed, finding that Buell had reasonable suspicion to initiate an investigatory stop. Buell responded to a police dispatch that included five, specific identifying characteristics—race, age, gender, shirt color, and type of shorts. Buell reasonably believed, based on the behavior he observed, that D.Z. was trying to evade the police.
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