Hafner v. Brown

Opinion MURNAGHAN, Circuit Judge: Mark Hafner, the appellee, filed a civil suit seeking compensatory and punitive damages against five Baltimore City Police Officers -- David Hahn, David Brown, Jonathan Pease, Gary Reininger, and Terry Ressin -- in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. Hafner claimed that the officers deprived him of his constitutional rights in violation of 42 U.S.C. § 1983 through the use of excessive force during arrest and that they acted in conspiracy to violate his rights. After initial jury deliberations and supplementary jury instructions requiring additional deliberation, the jury returned a verdict for Hahn1 but against Brown, Pease, Reininger, and Ressin. Those four officers have brought the present appeal.