CHELESY EASTEP, AS SURVIVING SPOUSE AND NEXT OF KIN OF LANDON DWAYNE EASTEP v. CITY OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE; BRIAN MURPHY, STEVEN CARRICK, EDIN PLANCIC, SEAN WILLIAMS, JUSTIN PINKELTON, AND JAMES KIDD, IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL AND OFFICIAL CAPACITIES AS OFFICERS OF THE METROPOLITAN NASHVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT; FABJAN LLUKAJ, IN HIS INDIVIDUAL AND OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS AN OFFICER OF THE MT. JULIET POLICE DEPARTMENT; REGGIE EDGE, JR. AND CHARLES ACHINGER, IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL AND OFFICIAL CAPACITIES AS OFFICERS OF THE TENNESSEE HIGHWAY PATROL - Articles

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CHELESY EASTEP, AS SURVIVING SPOUSE AND NEXT OF KIN OF LANDON DWAYNE EASTEP v. CITY OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE; BRIAN MURPHY, STEVEN CARRICK, EDIN PLANCIC, SEAN WILLIAMS, JUSTIN PINKELTON, AND JAMES KIDD, IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL AND OFFICIAL CAPACITIES AS OFFICERS OF THE METROPOLITAN NASHVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT; FABJAN LLUKAJ, IN HIS INDIVIDUAL AND OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS AN OFFICER OF THE MT. JULIET POLICE DEPARTMENT; REGGIE EDGE, JR. AND CHARLES ACHINGER, IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL AND OFFICIAL CAPACITIES AS OFFICERS OF THE TENNESSEE HIGHWAY PATROL

Posted by: Karen Belcher on Oct 17, 2025

Court: 6th Circuit Court (Published Opinions)

Attorneys 1: ARGUED: Melissa Roberge, METROPOLITAN DEPARTMENT OF LAW, Nashville, Tennessee, for Appellants.

Attorneys 2: ARGUED: David J. McKenzie, THE LAW OFFICE OF DAVID McKENZIE, Lewisburg, Tennessee, for Appellee.

Attorneys 3: ON BRIEF: Melissa Roberge, Michael R. Dohn, METROPOLITAN DEPARTMENT OF LAW, Nashville, Tennessee, for Appellant Police Officers; Robert M. Burns, Samantha A. Burnett, HOWELL & FISHER, PLLC, Nashville, Tennessee, for Appellant Llukaj.

Attorneys 4: ON BRIEF: Amanda Jordan, Meghan Murphy, Gabriel Krimm, OFFICE OF THE TENNESSEE ATTORNEY GENERAL, Nashville, Tennessee, for Appellants Edge and Achinger.

Attorneys 5: ON BRIEF: David J. McKenzie, THE LAW OFFICE OF DAVID McKENZIE, Lewisburg, Tennessee, Barbara G. Medlet, MEDLEY AND SPIVY, Lewisburg, Tennessee, for Appellee.

Judge(s): MURPHY, DAVIS, and BLOOMEKATZ, Circuit Judges

Court Appealed: United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee at Nashville

DAVIS, Circuit Judge. A thirty-five-minute standoff on a Nashville highway ended when nine police officers fired roughly thirty-three shots at Landon Eastep. Twelve shots struck and killed him. Mr. Eastep’s wife, Chelesy Eastep, sued the City of Nashville, the City of Mt. Juliet, and nine officers in these consolidated cases on behalf of her husband’s estate. She seeks relief under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for violations of her husband’s Fourth Amendment right to be free from excessive force. The officer Defendants moved to dismiss, claiming qualified immunity. The district court denied their motion, and Defendants appeal. For the following reasons, we AFFIRM in part and REVERSE in part.

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