Smith v. Jones

In these consolidated appeals, defendant Detroit Police Officers Victor Jones and Shontae Jennings appeal as of right a judgment totaling $3,808,500 entered for damages allegedly sustained by plaintiffs as a result of a firebombing of their home. We reverse and remand and hold that pursuant to the public-duty doctrine defendants owed no duty to plaintiffs.

i

The gravamen of plaintiffs’ complaint was that plaintiff Joseph Smith made a 911 call reporting suspicious activity in the alley near plaintiffs’ home and, in response to the call, defendant police officers detained several suspects and…